Heroin facts
Street names
Smack, brown, H, gear, skag, harry, horse, jack.
How it affects you
- It’s an analgesic, which makes you feel relaxed, and acts as a powerful painkiller.
- It creates a sense of extreme pleasure and feeling good.
- Heavy use makes you sleepy, sedated and slurry.
- Many people are sick the first time they use it.
Is it legal?
- No. It’s a Class A drug.
- If you’re caught with it you could get up to seven years’ in jail and a big fine.
- If you’re caught supplying or producing it you could get life imprisonment and an even bigger fine.
- Related substances such as Pethidine and Dihydrocodiene are class B.
- Kaolin, Morphine and Codeine are available over the counter and on prescription.
Risks, signs and symptoms
- There is a high risk of death from overdose, especially if you’ve been drinking alcohol or taking other depressants (certain types of drugs, like tranquiliser pills prescribed by doctors).
- Regular use often means you stop looking after yourself and stop caring about the way you look.
- Dangerous infections and abscesses from injecting.
- Your cough reflex can be reduced for long periods, so you’re more likely to chest infections.
- Constipation is also common among regular users.
- You can become tolerant quickly, so you need more heroin to get the same hit or stop getting withdrawal symptoms.
- If you stop taking heroin for a while your tolerance drops, which means that if you start again and take your ‘normal’ dose there’s a greater risk of overdosing.
- Heroin is very physically addictive and though withdrawal is not fatal it is extremely unpleasant.
How you can reduce the risks
- The only way to fully reduce the risks from heroin is to not take it.
- Don’t mix heroin with other substances.
- Injecting heroin is especially dangerous: your veins can be damaged and there is the added risk of dangerous diseases if you share any equipment.
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