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Heroin

Heroin is a powder, which ranges in color from pure white to beach sand brown. There is also a form called “Black Tar”, which looks like small, irregular pieces of a brown hard candy. In the 80′s, heroin was most often injected. Today, however, snorting is the primary means of using heroin. The potency of heroin has gone up tremendously, allowing people to get a better high from snorting, smoking or even eating heroin, than did those who injected it in years past. Still, it is not uncommon for heavy heroin users to eventually inject the drug in an effort to increase their high. Depending on the method of injestion, heroin produces its high in anywhere from 10 seconds to 20 minutes. A rush of euphoria comes over the user, followed by a sedation effect that lasts from 2 to 4 hours.

Heroin is a ruthlessly addictive drug. It has transitioned from being a street level drug, to being one which is embraced by all socio-economic levels. Often, a person will develop a tolerance and addiction to prescription level pain killers like Vicodin or Hydrocodone. As prescription pills become harder to come by, they turn to illicit narcotics like heroin. Most users begin by snorting or ingesting the drug. It is now packaged and used the way most people are accustomed to seeing cocaine used.

• D.E.A. Classification: Schedule I
• Drug Category: Narcotic / Opiate
• Availability: Moderate Available
• Cost per dose: $15 per dose
• M.T.F. Report: 1.5% of 10th Graders Admitted Using in 2009
• Geographic Predominance: Omnipresent
• Method of Ingestion: Snorted, Smoked, Injected, Ingested
• D.A.W.N. Report: 200,666 Emergency Room Visits for Heroin in 2008
• Duration of High: 2 to 4 hours
• Detectable in Urine: 1 to 2 days

Signs of Heroin Use Heroin slows down the central nervous system. This will produce a pulse rate, respiration rate, blood pressure and body temperature that is lower than normal. While under the influence, a heroin user’s pupils will be abnormally constricted. Their neck and face may be flushed. They will also exhibit nystagmus, along with a lack of convergence. They will, however, be able to perform the physical portion of sobriety tests without much difficulty. They will not present with slurred words. Other signs of heroin use can be powder clinging to the walls of the nostrils, or injection marks on the forearm, between fingers or between toes. Please refer to the Diagnosing Drug Use page for tips on detecting intoxication.

Paraphernalia: Heroin paraphernalia typically includes a snorting straw, razor, and sometimes a small mirror or hard surface to snort off of. In some cases, heroin is smoked from a pipe like crack, or meth. Black Tar heroin, and powder heroin, can also be dissolved, heated and injected. In this case, the paraphernalia will include a spoon, soda can bottom or other metal bowl, a syringe, a piece of cotton and a ligature. Please see the paraphernalia page for more information on this topic.

Preventing Heroin Use: The information on our Preventing Drug Use pages can be very helpful in the prevention of heroin use. Beyond that, it is important for parents to be alert for signs that their children are experimenting with other drugs. Heroin is not a first drug of choice. Most users graduate to heroin from other drugs like marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills.