Heroin Category: Opioids

(also called: gear, H, smack, skag, junk, brown, horse, china white, dragon)

How it’s used

Heroin is an opiate with strong sedative (‘downer’) and painkilling effects. It comes in powder form which varies in colour from brown to white. You can inject it, sniff it or smoke it on foil or in a tobacco-based joint.

Short-term effects

Effects can start quickly and last for several hours. This depends on how much of the drug you use and how you take it
Makes you feel warm and relaxed with a hazy feeling of security
Pinpoint pupils
Pain relief
You can have nausea and vomiting the first time you use it
Dramatic mood swings
Your breathing and heart rate slow down
Constipation
Higher doses cause drowsiness – ‘goofing off’
Injecting heroin causes more intense feelings

Long-term effects

You build tolerance, so you need to take more to get the same buzz
Chronic constipation
Irregular periods in women
High doses can cause you to feel drowsy all the time, fall into a coma or die from breathing failure
If you smoke heroin you risk lung and heart disease
You may stop eating properly and not look after yourself

Other dangers

Unplanned pregnancy due to irregular periods
Your risk of overdose is particularly high if you stop using heroin for a while and then start using again as your tolerance goes down
Heroin is more dangerous when you use it with other depressant drugs such as alcohol, tranquillisers, benzos or other opiates, such as methadone
Damage to veins if you inject it
You risk HIV and hepatitis if you share needles
You risk choking on vomit as your cough reflex is suppressed

If you are pregnant

If you use heroin while pregnant, you risk miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight or cot death. Your baby may go through heroin withdrawal and need treatment after birth. You should stop using heroin gradually over a few days under medical supervision. If you stop too quickly you could lose your baby.

Addictive

Heroin is highly addictive, both physically and psychologically, so your body craves it and you feel you can’t cope without it. If you use it regularly for 2 to 3 weeks you will build tolerance so you need to keep taking more to get the same buzz.

Withdrawal

You may start to experience withdrawal after several weeks on high, frequent doses of heroin. Withdrawals start 8-12 hours after your last use and include aches, shakes, sweating, chills, sneezing and yawning and muscle spasms. These fade after about a week and are not life threatening.

How long does it stay in your system?

A urine test will detect heroin for 3-8 days. (The length of time depends on the test used, the amount you take, if you have other medical conditions and your own metabolism. Please use this figure as a guide only)

What help is available?

Self-help support such as Narcotics Anonymous
Counselling or psychotherapy
Complementary therapies, such as acupuncture
Help from your doctor to reduce, withdraw, detox or keep off heroin
Residential treatment programmes (clinics)
Aftercare
One to one or group family support
Contact the Drugs Helpline 1800 459 459 to find out about options in your area

« Back to Types of Drugs page