HEROIN

 
Names

• H
• Smack
• Brown

Description

• Pure heroin is a white powder, street heroin is usually an off-white, brown colour

Use

• Heroin can be snorted, smoked or injected
• It is a strong painkilling drug made from the opium poppy and its derivatives like morphine are used by medics for terminally ill cancer patients
• It is a Class A drug

Effects

• Heroin slows people down and makes them feel warm, relaxed and separate from the real world
• First-time effects include dizziness and vomiting

Risks

• Heroin is highly addictive and takes over lives of users, it is very difficult to come off
• Excessive usage can lead to overdose, coma and death
• Using needles puts users at risk of infections such as HIV, as well as damaged veins and gangrene
• None-pure, street heroin has other ingredients which make it difficult to measure dosage

Law

• The drug is illegal to have in your possession without a doctors prescription
• The maximum sentence for possession of heroin is 7 years and an unlimited fine
• The maximum sentence for supplying heroin (including giving some to a friend) is life imprisonment and an unlimited fine
• If you are tested for using heroin, it can be detected in your urine (wee) for up to three days