Heroin Information

The statistics of drug use are undergoing a frightening change. Although the use of gateway drugs such as marijuana seem to be leveling out, use of the more permanently debilitating drugs such as heroin are increasing alarmingly fast. There is an epidemic of so-called "casual" use in the United States. While the percentage of heroin users who administer the drug via Intravenous (IV) injection is the same, more and more are smoking or sniffing the drug. It seems America’s youth are buying into the misconception that as long as they do not use heroin Intravenously, they will not become hooked.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse there are currently 600,000 heroin addicts needing treatment. Heroin has many serious health hazards associated with its use. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Fatal Overdose, Collapsed Veins and Infectious Diseases just to name a few.

Aside from the debilitating effects of long-term use the heroin user will most likely suffer from three factors: Tolerance, Addiction and Withdrawal.

Common paraphernalia associated with heroin use include spoons, cotton balls, needles or "rigs", foil, straws, razor blades, matches or candles and tourniquets.

Tolerance
What is meant by tolerance is that the more a person uses a drug the more the person has to take to experience the high. Heroin has a high rate of tolerance, which makes the drug that much more addictive and dangerous.

Addiction
Once a physical dependence occurs the user becomes addicted. As more low-priced, high-quality street heroin becomes more available, this can happen within the first few uses of the drug.

Withdrawal
One of the most troubling aspects of heroin addiction is the withdrawal period. Among users this is called “dope sickness”. With long-term users this may be a daily exercise in desperation. Withdrawal may occur as soon as two hours after the last dose and symptoms include drug craving, restlessness, insomnia, cramping, vomiting and diarrhea, cold flashes and kicking movements (hence the term “kicking dope”). These symptoms occur most visibly between 48 and 72 hours after last use and may continue up to a week or more. Among long-term dependent users withdrawal may require hospitalization as it is occasionally fatal although less so than barbiturates and alcohol.