1. Heroin

2. Street Names
Big H
Blacktar
Brown sugar
Dope
Horse
Junk
Mud
Skag
smack

3. What is Heroin Highly addictive
Derived from morphine which is obtained from the opium poppy
It is a downer (depressant)

4. What does it look like?
White to dark drown powder or tar-like substance

5. How is it used? Can be injected into a vein (mainlining)
Injected into a muscle
Smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe
Mixed in a marijuana joint or cigarette
Inhaled as a smoke “chasing the dragon”
Snorted as a powder up the nose

6. Short term effects
Appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours
Surge of euphoria (“rush”)
Warm flushing of the skin
Dry mouth

7. Short term effects con’t
Following initial euphoria usre goes “on the nod”
On the nod is an alternately wakeful and drowsy state
Mental functioning becomes clouded
Depression of central nervous system causes slurred speech, slowed movement, droopy eyelids.

8. Long term effects Collapsed viens Infection of heart lining
Liver disease
Pulmonary complications, most common is pneumonia

9. “street heroin”
May have other additives that do not dissolve and result in clogging the blood vessels to the lungs, liver, kidneys or brain
Users develop tolerance…
Users develop physical dependance…

10. Withdraw symptoms
May occur as early as a few hours after the last administered dose.
Include drug craving
Muscle and bone pain
Insomnia
Diarrhea vomiting
Cold flashes
Sudden withdraw by heavy users can be fatal

11. Source of info
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)