For Teens

Tips for Teens: The Truth About Heroin

Heroin affects your brain. Heroin enters the brain quickly. It slows down the way you think, slows down reaction time, and slows down memory. This affects the way you act and make decisions.

Heroin affects your body. Heroin poses special problems for those who inject it because of the risks of HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other diseases that can occur from sharing needles. These health problems can be passed on to sexual partners and newborns.

Heroin is super-addictive. Heroin is highly addictive because it enters the brain so rapidly. It particularly affects those regions of the brain responsible for producing physical dependence.

Heroin is not what it may seem. Despite the glamorization of “heroin” chic in films, fashion, and music, heroin use can have tragic consequences that extend far beyond its users. Fetal effects, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, violence, and crime are all linked to its use.

Heroin can kill you. Heroin is one of the top two frequently reported drugs by medical examiners in drug abuse deaths.2

Know the law. Heroin is an illegal Schedule I drug, meaning that it is in the group of the most highly addictive drugs.

Get the facts. Any method of heroin use--snorting, smoking, swallowing, or injecting the drug--can cause immediate harm and lead to addiction.

Stay informed. The untimely deaths of several popular musicians and other celebrities may have influenced many young people to stay away from heroin use, but to others, the dangers are still not clear.

Know the risks. Because the strength of heroin varies and its impact is more unpredictable when used with alcohol or other drugs, the user never knows what might happen with the next dose.

Look around you. The vast majority of teens are not using heroin. According to a 2002 national study, less than 1 percent report ever having tried it.4

How can you tell if a friend is using heroin? Signs and symptoms of heroin use are:
Euphoria
Drowsiness
Impaired mental functioning
Slowed down respiration
Constricted pupils
Nausea

Signs of a heroin overdose include:
Shallow breathing
Pinpoint pupils
Clammy skin
Convulsions
Coma

What can you do to help a friend who is using heroin? Be a real friend. You might even save a life. Encourage your friend to stop or seek professional help. For information and referrals, call 888-203-2916. 

Heroin Q&A:

Q. Isn't heroin a less dangerous drug if you snort or smoke it instead of injecting it?
A. No. Heroin is heroin. There is no safe way of ingesting it. You can still die from an overdose or become addicted by snorting or smoking it.

Q. Can withdrawal from heroin kill you?
A. Although it is seldom fatal, withdrawal from heroin produces drug cravings, restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms that usually last about a week, but may last for many months.

Q. Will heroin use alter my brain?
A. Yes. Heroin enters the neurons or cells of the brain and changes the speed of the chemicals in the brain. It not only affects your brain physically, but also affects the way you think.

Are drugs really that bad for you? 
    Yeah, they are. People who use drugs usually say they feel great at first and that drugs are the best thing that ever happened to them – but that doesn't last long. Over time, they'll need more and more to get the same high – and this really increases the risk of addiction, and in some cases, overdose. And even if they never O.D., drugs can ruin their health, force them to drop out of school, lose friends, and impair their judgment enough that they'll do some really stupid stuff. Drug users do things they wouldn't do while sober – they engage in unsafe sex or put other people's lives at risk on the road. Sure, this might all seem fun for them while they're doing it but are they going to be laughing through an unwanted pregnancy, a car accident, or during the wait for results from an AIDS test?     
    Need more proof? Drug abusers can develop psychological problems such as suicidal depression or serious physical problems such as liver damage and brain damage. Of course, there's also the risk of death from an overdose.

What's the deal? Why can't some people handle drinking and drugs? 
    There's just not a perfect answer to this question. Drinking or taking drugs is usually a sign that someone is trying to avoid the stuff that's bugging them: pressure from friends, stress in the family, hassles, the feeling that adults are on their case, the bad feeling that they're different from everyone else in the world. When people first start taking drugs, it makes them feel like they're escaping to something that's easier, something that feels better. But after awhile, escaping becomes harder because, over time, the body needs more and more of a drug to get the high that once came easily. Often, users just end up chasing after the first high. Unfortunately, the more drugs a person takes, the higher the risk of getting addicted or overdosing. 
    Other people take drugs or drink as an experiment. They figure it is just part of what you do when you're figuring out your way in the world. Yeah, experimentation is part of growing up–but some experiments can lead to permanent damage. And for people whose families have a history of Alcoholism or addiction, experimenting is really risky. Just like heart disease and cancer, substance abuse often runs in families so, for those people, a bit of experimentation could lead to serious dependency in no time at all. But you're not off the hook if substance abuse doesn't run in your family. Addiction is a powerful thing, and it can take hold of anyone at anytime. Drugs are addicting because of changes they create in your body and brain. These changes cause you to crave the drug. Basically, if you've got the insatiable craving, you're addicted and it doesn't matter if you've only used once or everyday for months.

Why is it so hard for alcoholics and drug abusers to ask for help? 
    It's tough for most people to believe they have a serious substance abuse problem. It's even harder for them to admit it. After all, nobody likes to admit a weakness. People who have a serious problem with drinking or other drugs might say they're not using that much and they won't get addicted. They deny the problem to themselves and to everybody they know, and that becomes almost as big a problem as the drinking or drug use itself. Becoming dependent on Alcohol or other drugs makes you want to cut off the people who care about you, and you can end up feeling lonely and afraid and turning to more alcohol or drugs to make yourself feel better. But, the reality is this: Getting better doesn't work that way. People have to admit that alcohol and/or drugs are messing up their lives.