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Heroin |
Heroin is becoming increasingly common in South Africa.
It is an opiate, which is a morphine derivative and it is clinical purpose is to dull pain. It is fast acting and highly addictive. The most commonly used street names are smack, H, junk and “sugars”. Street language changes frequently. In South Africa the most common form of ingestion is to smoke it. but injecting (or mainlining) is common in the Cape, Gauteng and has become more frequent in KZN.
Pure heroin is a white powder, which is cut with talcum powder or with other drugs, like cocaine. It then takes on a brownish colour depending on what it has been mixed with. This is known as “brown sugar” or “sugars” and is smoked.
Heroin is highly addictive. The first hit makes such an impression that it has to be repeated. The subsequent experiences are never as good as the first and the body soon becomes addicted. In other words, the user craves the drug and becomes ill if the drug is withdrawn. Regular users often report using just to feel normal.
Overdoses are common and can lead to coma, death from respiratory failure or from inhaling vomit as heroin stops the body's cough reflex working properly. If heroin is taken with other drugs, including alcohol, overdose is more likely. Injecting heroin can damage the veins and gangrene (death and decay of body tissue, usually a digit or a limb) and tissue infections are common. Sharing needles and other paraphernalia can lead to infections like hepatitis B or C and HIV/AIDS.
TREATMENT
To quit using heroin is very difficult and must be done in a supervised setting. Doing it alone without medical help or going “cold turkey” is dangerous and can lead to death. Do contact an accredited treatment centre with a multi-disciplinary staff that includes medical personnel.
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