Resources Mental Health Substance Misuse Opiods SAMHSA Factsheet: The Truth About Heroin
Heroin affects your brain. Heroin enters the brain quickly. It slows down the way you think, slows down reaction time, and slows down memory. This affects the way you act and make decisions.
Heroin affects your body. Heroin poses special problems for those who inject it because of the risks of HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other diseases that can occur from sharing needles. These health problems can be passed on to sexual partners and newborns.1
Heroin is super-addictive. Heroin is highly addictive because it enters the brain so rapidly. It particularly affects those regions of the brain responsible for producing physical dependence.
Heroin is not what it may seem. Despite the glamorization of “heroin” chic in films, fashion, and music, heroin use can have tragic consequences that extend far beyond its users. Fetal effects, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, violence, and crime are all linked to its use.
Heroin can kill you. Heroin is one of the top two frequently reported drugs by medical examiners in drug abuse deaths.2
Know the Signs
How can you tell if a friend is using heroin? Signs and symptoms of heroin use are:
- Euphoria
- Drowsiness
- Impaired mental functioning
- Slowed down respiration
- Constricted pupils
- Nausea
Signs of a heroin overdose include:
- Shallow breathing
- Pinpoint pupils
- Clammy skin
- Convulsions
- Coma
What can you do to help a friend who is using heroin? Be a real friend. You might even save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help.
The bottom line: If you know someone who uses heroin, urge him or her to stop or get help. If you use heroin--stop! The longer you ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life.
It's never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or another adult you trust.
Source: SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, Used by permission
References
1 Heroin: Abuse and Addiction. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 1999. Internet: www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Heroin/heroin4.html#pregnant.
2 Mortality Data From the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2002. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2002.
3 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2002.
4 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. SAMHSA, 2002.
Last Updated (Friday, 11 July 2008 07:33)