What is Heroin?
Heroin is an opioid drug that comes from morphine, a substance derived from the poppy seeds in the opium plant. Typically, it comes from Mexico, Southeast or Southwest Asia, or Colombia. It can be extremely addictive due to the properties in it that cause a euphoric and overall good feeling when someone takes it.
“According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2016 about 948,000 Americans reported using heroin in the past year, a number that has been on the rise since 2007”
The greatest increase in heroin use has been among people aged 18-25, and the number of people who have used heroin for the first time is higher, around 170,000 in 2016 as opposed to nearly half around 90.000 in 2006.
How is Heroin Used
Heroin can be injected, snorted, smoked, and sniffed. Highly pure heroin is either snorted or smoked and is often more appealing to new users due to the lack of stigma behind injecting it.
“Impure heroin is usually dissolved, diluted, and injected into veins, muscles, or under the skin.”
The type of heroin that is sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal is referred to as “black tar heroin” and comes predominately from Mexico but sold in the United States.
Other types of heroin consist of:
- White heroin
- Powder heroin or powdered heroin
- Brown heroin
Typical Ways to Use Include:
- Inhaling or smoking (“chasing the dragon”), which involves gently heating the heroin on aluminum foil and inhaling the smoke and vapors through a tube.
- Snorting the powder through the nose (also called sniffing)
- Injecting either into a vein (“mainlining,” intravenous or IV use), into a muscle (intramuscular or IM use) or under the skin (“skin-popping” or subcutaneous use)
Heroin is highly addictive and the withdrawals from it can be extremely uncomfortable, because of the effects it has on the body when it is used. Taking it away can cause many negative consequences and symptoms to occur in the body if not treated properly.
Signs of Heroin Use
- An initial euphoric rush
- Clouded thinking
- Heaviness of limbs
- Drowsiness for hours
- Slowed heart rate (after initial rush)
- Severe itching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Flushed skin
What Does Heroin Look Like?
Many people might wonder, “what does heroin look like?” When heroin is in its purest form, it appears to be as a white powder. It is usually sold in the form of a white or brown powder. Often, it is not pure, and comes in the form of a rose gray, black or brown color. It can also be broken down into a powder and turned into a pill form that look like a prescription drug that someone may take over the counter.
“The coloring comes from additives which have been used to dilute it, which can include sugar, caffeine or other substances. Street heroin is sometimes “cut” with strychnine or other poisons.”
Because these additives take some time to dissolve, it can clog the blood vessels leading to the lungs, brain or kidneys. This can cause serious damage including injury to vital organs or bad infections.
Types of Heroin
When someone buys heroin off the street, they don’t really know what they are getting. They aren’t sure of the potency, the ingredients or how it’s going to affect them. This can often mean, that the potential for heroin overdose is much higher than if the drug was prescribed by a doctor.
“Fentanyl, a prescription opioid that is 100 times more powerful than morphine, is sometimes used to cut heroin or other street drugs. It may also be made into tablets that look like prescription medication.”
Depending on where the heroin comes from, it may have a different look or smell. Typically, the color of street heroin ranges from brownish white to a brown color. Used as painkillers, drugs made from opium are called opiates. They usually have a smell that is “vinegary,” but they can also be odorless. It normally tastes bitter.
Different Names for Heroin
Heroin can be referred to in many different names or “street names.” Some drugs share similar street names because they have some of the same chemicals in them.
Street Names
- Big H
- Brown Sugar
- H
- Hell Dust
- Horse
- Junk
- Nose Drops
- Skag
- Smack
- Thunder
Heroin Addiction
Someone who uses heroin can quickly become addicted to it, due to the euphoric feelings it causes after using it. Even one time of using heroin, can cause someone to become addicted, and the chances of an overdose are definitely present. This means that people need to tread lightly when they are using heroin and understand what they are getting themselves into before they begin using the drug.
The best way to handle a heroin addiction, is to seek help from a heroin addiction treatment center right away. This allows for the greatest success if someone is suffering from the symptoms of a heroin addiction.
“Because addiction is a chronic disease, people can’t simply stop using drugs for a few days and be cured. Most patients need long-term or repeated care to stop using completely and recover their lives”
Inland Detox is open 24 hours per day and 7 days a week. Our goal is to provide our clients with the highest quality care possible through our substance abuse treatment options. Compared to other detox facilities, we’re considered overstaffed.
Find Treatment for Heroin Abuse at Inland Detox
Inland Detox is a premier heroin detox program in the Inland Valley, offering state-of-the-art equipment, a beautiful scenery, and professional staff, located on a stunning campus in Southern, California.
Our dual diagnosis approach is what sets us apart from many other detox centers. This method allows us to treat not only the withdrawal symptoms of drug detoxification, but also to address the underlying causes of why our clients developed their substance abuse problems. We believe in offering the highest possible standards of clinical excellence by customizing a treatment plan for each client’s specific needs that helps them transition from our detox center to further levels of treatment and aftercare.
Choosing to enter a licensed detox facility can be a lifesaving decision for people who have developed a chemical dependency. If you or a loved one needs help reclaiming your life and discovering how to live in sobriety, our admissions team is waiting to talk to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don’t wait another day to find hope and healing through medical detox.
Contact us at (888) 739-8296 or reach out online.