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Smack, brown, skag, gear, H, opiate
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- Heroin is an opiate, a drug that can relieve pain and bring about
sleep, which is produced from the opium found in the opium poppy. Opium
is the first product of the poppy, followed by morphine - which is around
ten times stronger than opium - and finally heroin - which, in its purest
form, is around three times stronger than morphine.
- Opium has been used for medicine and for recreation for thousands
of years, and, as a medicine, was once as popular as aspirin is today.
In Britain it usually came as Laudanum, a medicine of opium mixed with
alcohol.
- During the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the British were
the world's biggest opium trafficker, even declaring war on China when
the Emperor tried to ban the British from selling the drug to his country.
- Morphine was used as a cure for opium addiction and heroin has been
used as a cure for morphine addiction. Morphine has also been used,
again in the nineteenth century, for recreational reasons and wealthy
society women went as far as to have jewellery specially made to hold
their morphine injecting equipment when at the theatre or other social
gathering. There was the belief at the time that only smoking morphine
would lead to a habit, not injecting.
- Heroin and other opiates first came under control in the First World
War as the government were worried about the effect it would have both
on soldiers fighting in France and on people in Britain who were making
weapons and ammunition.
- Following a series of meetings about international narcotic control
and the role of doctors, Britain set up a committee to look at the way
forward in this country. The Rolleston Committee reported that they
believed there was only one type of addict - middle-class, middle-aged,
often from the medical profession and a morphine user. With about 500
such people in the country, the committee recommended that they be prescribed
heroin or morphine and long-term if thought necessary.
- This lasted until the late 1950's when the first new wave of heroin
users became apparent. Another committee was set up to look at the problem
and, in 1961, the recommendations of the Rolleston Committee were repeated.
By 1965, however, the number of heroin users had grown markedly and
a new system of specialist Drug Dependency Units soon opened up.
- A second wave of heroin users arose during the mid-seventies as Britain
was experiencing huge unemployment amongst the working class. The middle-eastern
conflicts meant that more heroin became available as countries sought
to get funds to buy arms and it was smokeable which made it more "acceptable"
than injecting.
- And the rest, so they say, is history. There are now an estimated
300,000 or so heroin dependents in England and Wales.
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- The price of street heroin has reduced significantly over the past
decade, which is an indication of increased availability.
- Generally, heroin is bought in £10 "bags", and again generally, users
will buy between 1 and 3 bags a day. There are, though, people who will
use much more than this in a day.
- In terms of popularity, heroin remains one of the least used illegal
drugs with around 1% of the population having tried it. Of those that
do try it, a percentage will go on to use dependently - estimated at
around 300,000 in England and Wales - and some will use now and again.
"Recreational", occasional use can be difficult to maintain without
it becoming a habit, and almost every person who has a heroin habit
started off believing that they could control the drug.
- As with all drugs, the effects are intensely personal and depend on
a lot of different factors. What follows is a general account of effects.
- The effects of heroin are the same whichever method is used to take
it - snorting (not very popular), smoking or injecting. The one difference
is the "rush" during and shortly after injecting.
- For a first time, or inexperienced, user, feelings of nausea and retching
for some time are usual. Some will repeat the experience despite this.
In a similar way, many people who try tobacco find their early experiences
awful and some do not try again; there are many, however, who will go
back to try it again and "learn" how to enjoy it.
- The heroin experience begins seconds after it has been taken and starts
with a warmth in the guts which spreads throughout the body. The user
soon begins to feel warm, dreamy, self-absorbed and safe. There is an
awareness of what's going on around, but with an indifference towards
it and a contentment that nothing can touch them. Regular users have
described it as like being "wrapped in cotton wool" and feeling like
"the sausage wrapped up in a hot dog".
- Some users become drowsy whilst others, at low doses, may feel that
they are free to do everyday things without worry.
- At higher doses, the user may slip into a sleepy, dreamy state with
the eyes wanting to shut, head drooping and speech becoming slurred.
This is commonly known as gouching. Whilst in this state it is possible
to cause some damage - for example, burning the fingers with a lighted
cigarette or dropping the cigarette into the lap - without really feeling
the pain because of the analgesic effects of the heroin.
- Physical effects can include slowed breathing, slowed heart rate,
itchiness, runny nose, sweating, constipation and an increase in passing
water.
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There is little evidence that heroin in itself causes
serious physical risk. If it did, it wouldn't be used in medical practice.
With street heroin the risks come from injecting practice, unstable and
irregular patterns of use, the bulking agents or adulterants that are
used, poor lifestyle and general poor health which can result from a street
heroin dependent lifestyle.
Perhaps the first thing to say is that heroin is addictive. Addiction
doesn't happen the first time a person uses - it takes time and money,
but it can and does happen. For a person who is addicted to heroin, their
use will be regular and daily or they will start withdrawing. This may
not be a problem for someone who has the money and the supply and the
personal means to use in this way - but for those people who don't have
the money and have to commit crime to fund their use, whose supply is
irregular and unstable, and who don't have the personal and social support,
it can be very problematic.
In terms of physical risk
- heroin depresses the respiratory system and regular users can often
find themselves breathless and phlegmy. Because of its impact on the
respiratory system there can be an increased risk of lung problems including
pneumonia, regardless of whether or not the heroin is injected;
- the appetite can virtually disappear which can lead to marked weight
loss. This can be complicated by lifestyle issues; heroin is expensive
- if the choice for a dependent is food or withdrawal, the chances are
that withdrawal will be avoided; food can always be bought "another
day";
- the sex drive goes and women may find that their periods stop. Some
women may find that although their periods stop they continue producing
eggs which may result in an accidental pregnancy. Diarrhoea during withdrawal
may also make the contraceptive pill ineffective. For information
about heroin and pregnancy, please contact your specialist drug agency;
- there can be problems resulting from injecting practice - vein damage;
infections of the injecting sites; injecting into an artery instead
of a vein; and specific infection, including HIV and Hepatitis, through
sharing injecting equipment (needles, syringes and spoons and other
equipment that may be used to prepare the heroin);
- overdosing (taking too much for the body to cope with) with heroin
can be fatal. The risk of overdose increases if a user has had a break
from heroin and goes back to using the same amount or if the supply
of street heroin suddenly becomes much purer than usual and people continue
to use the same amount;
- sudden deaths can and do occur and are usually described as overdoses
although they are more likely to be acute allergic reactions;
- using heroin with other drugs, and particularly alcohol, can be extremely
dangerous. Heroin and alcohol mixed may cause vomiting which can be
fatal if the combination has also caused unconsciousness. Heroin and
tranquilliser combinations can also be very dangerous as this can slow
down the respiratory system too much;
- heroin use can also lead to problems if the user is suffering from
respiratory complaints like asthma, and for people with alcohol problems,
liver complaints, low blood pressure, hypothyroid, bowel problems and
certain prostrate conditions.
As well as physical risk, heroin users often have deep-seated emotional
and psychological problems that the heroin use is masking. For more information,
or to discuss this further, please contact your local drug service.
Heroin is a Class A drug.
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