Heroin or diacetylmorphine (INN) is a semi-synthetic opioid that ranges in color from white at its purest to a dark brown tar, it is derived from the dried milk of the opium poppy. It contains morphine and codeine, which are very powerful painkillers used in many aspects of western medicine. Other natural or synthetic types of heroin include codeine, diconal, dihydrocodeine (df 118s), methadone, morphine, opium itself, palfium, pethidine and temegesic. Over 80% of the world's heroin supply is estimated to come from Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar), Heroin is one of the most profitable illicit drugs on the market because it is compact and easily hidden.

Cost

High-quality Southeast Asian heroin costs $150,000 to $200 000 per kilogram (looks like white powder)

Southwest Asian heroin, not consistently as pure as that from the Golden Triangle, sells for approximately $120,000 to $150,000 per kilogram.

Lesser quality Mexican heroin is often priced under $100,000 per kilogram (usually black tar looking)

Colombian heroin costs $90,000 per kilogram

Street Names

Heroin: Lady, white girl, horse, black tar, brown sugar, smack, goods, H, junk, Harry
Morphine: M, white stuff, cube, morf, mud, nasty

Methods of Consumption

People inject opiates, snort them or take them by mouth. Heroin is often smoked using tin foil heated up underneath resulting in the heroin turning to a liquid form and the user inhales the fumes commonly called tooting or chasing the dragon.

Consequences & Associated Risks

Any type of opiate is extremely addictive because their body quickly becomes dependent on regular consumption - referred to as Tolerance. If the person stops or reduces their consumption level, they begin to feel withdraw symptoms that are similar to a severe flu. There is also a strong craving to return to the drugs but both physical and psychological symptoms begin to subside after a week, when the body begins to return to its normal non-drug induced balance.

Symptoms of withdraw include watery eyes, runny nose, yawning, loss of appetite, tremors, panic, chills, sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, and insomnia. Blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and temperature all elevate.

Heroin use during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, stillbirths, spontaneous abortion, placental abruptions, and sudden death syndrome. Babies of addicts are born dependent on the drug and must go through withdrawal as their first task in life.

The effects of prolonged use include physical dependence, psychological dependence, lethargy and indifference to environment and people, reduction of bowel movements, infections of the heart lining and valves, skin abscesses
congested lungs and death.

Effects

Heroin slows people down giving them a feeling of warmth and detachment. It acts to depress brain activity and widens blood vessels while higher doses lead to drowsiness and sedation. Heroin also reduces the desire to eat and blocks both mental & physical pain. Street heroin is often cut with other substances like glucose or talcum powder which makes it even more dangerous as it makes it difficult to know how big a dose is being taken.

Benefits

Used in the medical field (opiates) as general anesthetic, relief of physical pain after medical procedure.

Once its effects dissipate, how do you feel?

Withdrawal symptoms begin within 24 hours after last use and may last up to 7-10 days. Although these symptoms cause discomfort, the benefits to a person who stops using opiates greatly outweigh an addiction to the drugs. These benefits include improved health and greater enjoyment of everyday activities. Withdrawal can be dangerous depending upon the amount of the drug the person used. Medical attention is STRONGLY ADVISED!

Immediate effects that last usually the first 4 hours after initial use include, decreases awareness of the outside world, persistent and intense penile erection in males (priapism), vomiting, yawning, gooseflesh, drowsiness, nodding off, depression of respiration, unconsciousness, dilated pupils. "itchy blood" is also often described by addicts, which often results in compulsive scratching that causes bruises and scabs on the skin.

Signs of an Overdose

People can overdose on heroin, which reduces the number of messages the brain sends to the chest muscles. The person's breathing slows, and, if the dose is high enough, stops. user cannot be awakened, pupils become very small, skin becomes cold, moist, and bluish in color, breathing slows down leading to death. Pure heroin overdoses are rare and are usually due to interactions with other drugs either consumed at the same time or used as cutting agents. These agents are usually alcohol, benzodiazepines (valium, methadone) and cocaine (called speedballs when injected or moonrocks when smoked) leading to a slow and painless death over several hours.

A heroin overdose is usually treated with an opioid antagonist, such as naloxone (Narcan) or naltrexone, which causes an immediate return of consciousness and start of withdrawal symptoms when administered intraveneously.