Effects of heroin
Short term effects of Heroin
- Sedation / drowsiness (known as gouching)
- Euphoria (the feeling of well being)
- Reduced anxiety
- No feeling of pain (analgesia)
Serious effects
- AIDS due to sharing needles
- Skin infection from injecting
- Collapsed veins due to injecting
- Poisoning due to additives added to the drugs by dealers
- Liver damage
- Rotten teeth due to "tooting"
Overdose
Addicts usually don't intend to overdose. The reasons for overdosing are few but can be very serious and has in the past resulted in death. If an addict has been restricted from taking the drug for a long period of time, for example, due to imprisonment. The addict could overdose if they were to use the same amount of the drug they were taking before they had the long spell of not using. Another reason for overdosing is due to the strength of heroin. Some dealers will mix other substances with the heroin making it weaker. If a pure bag of heroin was taken, this could amount to a serious overdose.What to look for
- Sleep pattern will change dramatically
- (usually lack of sleep during the night)
- Staying in the bedroom away from others who don't use the drug
- Not mixing with others
- Not going out with usual friends to the pub etc.
- Silver foil will start to disappear
- Lack of money
- Hyper and more energy than usual
- Personal items (stereo's, games machines, computers etc.) get sold to feed the addiction
- Money starts to disappear
- Dramatic weight loss
- Looking pale and gaunt in the face (no colour)
- Eye pupils very small, with little reaction
- Don't keep personal hygiene up to standard
- Loss of interest in cooked meals / depressed appetite
- Eating lots of sweet foods like chocolate bars and yoghurts
- Lies (a drug addict will tell blatant lies to try and cover his tracks)
- In trouble with the law
- Parents often mistake the effects of heroin use with alcohol use
- (but no smell of alcohol would be present)
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.drugs-info.co.uk/)
