Heroin
Drug: Heroin (Diamorphine)
Street names: Henry, Horse, Scag, Smack, Brown,
Puff, Dope
Similar drugs: Morphine, Methadone.
Drug type: Depressant
Legal status: Heroin is an illegal class A drug.
You could go to prison for seven years for possessing it and get
life for dealing it, plus receive a hefty fine.
What is it? Heroin comes from opium, which is found
in poppy plants. British street heroin tends to come in varying
shades of powder, from off-white to reddish brown.
The drug comes as a powder, which you normally smoke or prepare
for injection. You can snort or swallow it too.
How it can make you feel: At first you might feel
euphoric, relaxed and warm. Heroin can take away physical and
emotional pain. It's a sedative, so it will slow down your heart
rate and breathing, making you appear drowsy.
Heroin can cause nausea, sickness and constipation.
Withdrawal from heroin may bring on unpleasant flu like symptoms
including nausea, muscle cramps and sweating.
The risks: Heroin is very addictive, and can take
over your life. Users often get into debt or steal to fund their
habit. They tend to have a chaotic life which badly affects their
general health, nutrition, personal relationships and ability to
keep accommodation.
Injecting heroin is risky - you could get a disease from a dirty
needle (such as HIV or hepatitis), damage your veins or get an
abscess.
Heroin image courtesy of Talk to Frank, Crown Copyright.
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