There has been a surge in demand for illicit opioids in recent years.
Naturally, this has led to an increased prevalence of heroin in the street, heroin addiction, and heroin-related overdose.
What is particularly concerning about the increased demand for and availability of heroin, is the fact that street heroin is rarely, if ever, pure.
On average, street heroin contains just 7%-10% pure heroin.
At a maximum, it contains about 20% pure heroin, with the remainder consisting of potentially quite harmful cutting agents.
Approximately 25% of people who use heroin will develop an addiction to the substance, a condition that is associated with a long list of medical complications.
In 2017, almost 60,000 people were enrolled in rehabilitation programs to treat their opioid addiction in the United Kingdom.
Clearly, the ever-growing abuse of heroin is now an extremely concerning threat to public health.
If you’re looking for help overcoming heroin addiction, call our admissions team today on 0800 140 4690
Heroin, known chemically as diacetylmorphine or diamorphine, is a semi-synthetic derivative of opium-derived morphine.
Heroin is considered semi-synthetic because the morphine from which it is derived is chemically processed.
As a member of the opioid family of drugs, heroin is a very effective analgesic and is often used illicitly to relieve physical and emotional pain.
Heroin also rapidly initiates feelings of intense pleasure, relaxation, and euphoria.
The heroin “rush” is typically characterised by such pleasurable effects.
However, the relief and pleasure induced by heroin are temporary, and unfortunately, serve to exacerbate underlying issues in the long term.
Many people become addicted and continue to use heroin despite the variety of damaging consequences associated with its use.
Heroin has a number of nicknames and slang terms that it is referred to on the street.
Slang terms are used to divert attention away from the illicit use of heroin, and to confuse authorities, family members and teachers.
Of course, new slang terms must be created frequently to continue baffling law enforcement.
Slang terms for heroin include:
It is important to note that the above list does not include every single slang term for heroin because slang terms differ by country and geographical region
For example, the following list includes slang terms for heroin that are used in the Spanish language:
Do you suspect that a loved one may be suffering from heroin addiction? Find out how to help them by calling us on 0800 140 4690
Heroin is often combined with other illicit substances to intensify its euphoric effects or to obtain a specific type of high.
Alternatively, adulterants may be added to heroin to counteract the unpleasant effects associated with one or more of the drugs involved.
The most commonly used slang terms used to describe these drug combinations are provided below:
Some people with an addiction to heroin also use cocaine, either at the same time or separately.
Simultaneous use of heroin and cocaine is most commonly referred to as a “speedball”.
Cocaine can be mixed with heroin and injected, or be taken immediately before or after the administration of heroin in what’s known as piggybacking.
Sometimes, the syringe used to inject heroin is not removed at all, and the cocaine is quickly “back-loaded” into it for administration.
The negative health and social consequences associated with the co-administration of heroin and cocaine can be particularly acute.
For instance, the high frequency of intravenous injection that is required due to cocaine’s short half-life puts users at a significantly increased risk of contracting Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and other or other blood-borne infectious diseases.
One study found that co-users of heroin and cocaine administer heroin on average 22 days more than those who use heroin alone.
There is evidence to suggest that cocaine is co-used with heorin in different ways for different reasons.
People may use cocaine and heroin simultaneously for:
For help overcoming both heroin and cocaine addiction, call our team on 0800 140 4690
The combination of depressant and stimulant drugs, or “uppers” and “downers” as they are commonly called, puts the cardiovascular, respiratory, and central nervous systems under extreme stress.
Similar to speedballing, screwballing – the co-administration of heroin and methamphetamine – increases the risk of contraction and transmission of blood-borne diseases.
In addition, screwballing may have important implications for drug overdose.
Scientific evidence suggests that people who use both heroin and methamphetamine simultaneously are significantly more likely to inject multiple times per day compared to people who use only either one of those drugs.
Also, co-users seem to be more likely to reuse and share syringes.
There are also slang terms for practices related to heroin use and abuse.
The preparation of heroin for administration is a central component of the life of someone with heroin addiction.
In general, great care is taken to make sure it is done correctly.
Each person that prepares heroin for use goes through a specific, ritualised process to mitigate against harm and to ensure that the experience will be as pleasant as possible.
As a consequence, a whole language has been spawned to define preparation practices, tools, administration methods, types of heroin, quantities of heroin, and even people who use heroin.
These include:
Other terms used to describe the use of heroin include:
Don’t let addiction control your life – get the help of a suitable drug rehab near you by calling us on 0800 140 4690
Because heroin is both psychologically and physically addictive, experimentation with the drug can very quickly lead to dependence.
The signs and symptoms of heroin use will vary depending on the individual’s personality, the presence of co-occurring mental disorders, and the co-use of other psychoactive substances.
Symptoms of heroin use can be divided into 4 types – behavioural, physical, cognitive and psychosocial.
The most common symptoms to watch out for as a concerned parent, guardian, friend or relative, include:
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders outlines 11 criteria that are symptomatic of addiction to heroin.
The more symptoms a person presents with, the more severe their addiction is:
The 11 diagnostic criteria for heroin addiction are as follows:
If you’re noticing the signs of heroin addiction in yourself or a loved one, act now by calling our team on 0800 140 4690
Although making a full recovery from heroin addiction is quite challenging, the right rehabilitation programme can make all the difference.
After a person has decided to get professional help for their addiction, they must endure that they choose a rehabilitation programme that is highly regarded.
There are typically two treatment options if one wants to rid themselves of heroin addiction: inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment.
Inpatient treatment requires patients to stay in a residential treatment centre for up to 90 days.
At the treatment centre, patients can avail of round-the-clock medical supervision and expert care to ensure a smooth recovery process.
Before being admitted to the treatment centre, patients are required to undergo medical screening to make sure that they are suited to inpatient rehab.
Patients are then observed and cared for medically as they go through detoxification, which generally lasts for approximately 5-10 days.
Patients who opt for inpatient treatment generally have more success in their attempts to recover.
This is largely due to the support and assistance that is constantly on offer from trained medical experts.
Patients also have the option to receive a range of different types of therapies to help them along the path to recovery.
Therapy treatment options include:
At the culmination of their inpatient rehabilitation programme, patients will receive an aftercare package to help them during their first year of sobriety.
Outpatient rehabilitation can be an effective treatment option for people with an addiction to heroin that is not overly severe.
Outpatient rehab is different from inpatient rehab in the sense that patients continue to live at home for the duration of their treatment.
Patients enrolled in outpatient programmes travel to the treatment centre for weekly therapy appointments.
Importantly, outpatient programmes include the same therapy options as are available at inpatient facilities.
The main drawback associated with outpatient treatment is that patients do not have the advantage of medical assistance when taking medication.
To get help choosing between inpatient and outpatient treatment, talk with our team for free on 0800 140 4690
Administration of certain medications in conjunction with therapy has proven to be very effective in treating heroin addiction.
In particular, medications can be very helpful in terms of alleviating challenging symptoms associated with detox and withdrawal.
Medications used to treat heroin addiction include:
Methadone is an opioid receptor agonist that works similarly to heroin.
The difference is that methadone takes significantly longer to reach the brain and does not bring about the rush associated with heroin use as a result.
The half-life of methadone is approximately 15 hours, which is considerably longer than the 30-minute half-life of heroin.
This longer half-life negates heroin withdrawal symptoms that can be very challenging to deal with.
Methadone has the added advantage of bringing about tolerance to heroin. As a consequence, people will be less likely to take heroin if its pain-relieving and euphoric effects are blocked.
However, great caution should be when using methadone due to its addictive potential.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid receptor agonist that has weaker opioid effects than methadone.
As buprenorphine is a relatively weak opioid compared to methadone or heroin, its addiction potential is not as high.
Buprenorphine should be given to patients as soon as they begin to display symptoms of withdrawal.
Suboxone is a drug that contains buprenorphine and naloxone.
Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist, meaning that it completely blocks the effects of heroin.
Naloxone can be bought separately under the brand name Narcan and is able to reverse the effects of a heroin overdose.
Like naloxone, naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist that nullifies the pleasurable and analgesic effects of heroin.
This helps to break the grip heroin has on an individual and makes relapse far less likely.
Heroin addiction is a devastating disease to struggle against.
It is one of the most widespread and impactful parts of the worldwide opioid epidemic, supporting an international illegal industry and destroying tens of thousands of lives each year.
Whatever the causes behind your addiction, you deserve to get help.
Our expert team is ready and waiting to guide you towards the best treatment available for your unique needs.
Take back control of your life by calling us on 0800 140 4690.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
