Classification: Opiate analgesic
Common Names/Nicknames: H, big H, horse, white lady, brown, dope, junk, smack, mojo
Active Compound: Diacetylmorphine/Diamorphine
Found in: Heroin, speedballs (with cocaine), A-bombs (with marijuana)
Mode of Consumption: Inhalation (smoking), ingestion, injection, insufflation
DEA Scheduling/Legal Status (in US): Schedule I, illegal in all states
Effects:
Euphoria, drowsiness, anesthesia, decreased breathing, nausea, constipation, incontinence, pupil constriction, itchy skin
Risks:
Acute: Hypoxia, seizures, coma, fatal overdose
Chronic: Addiction, tolerance, withdrawal, weight loss
Inhalation: Increased risk of pulmonary cancer, cardiovascular disease; Injection: Blood-bourne pathogens, endocarditis, abscess
Males: Impotence; Females: Menstrual irregularities
Dangerous Drug Combinations:
Potentially fatal combination with alcohol, barbiturates, methaqualone, benzodiazepines, and other drugs that suppress breathing.
Special Considerations:
Heroin is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous drugs in terms of risk for addiction, harm to self, and harm to society. Heroin use is a major contributor to the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
And remember, if somebody may need help, play it safe and call for medical assistance.
“Students may bring an intoxicated or drug-impaired friend to University Health Services or to a hospital, or seek assistance from College residential life staff or HUPD, and by doing this, neither they nor the friend will face disciplinary action from the College for having used or provided alcohol or drugs.”
The Amnesty Policy
Harvard College Student Handbook
Sources:
Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs from Alcohol to Ecstasy (Third Edition), by Cynthia Kuhn, Scott Swartzwelder, and Wilkie Wilson. Published 2008 by W. W. Norton & Company.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Erowid Organization