Heroin belongs to the so-called opiates. These
are substances derived from the plant, papaver
somniferum. By making an incision in the
unripe seed pod of the papaver plant and drying
the released milky juice, the lightest of the
opiates is won: Crude opium. Crude opium has
been used for centuries already. From crude
opium, morphine is isolated. And from
morphine, through a chemical process, the
strongest opiate is won: Heroin. Pure heroin is
never sold. The coarse-grained white powder or
the tiny yellow 'rocks' are always cut with
caffeine, aspirin or milk sugar.
How is heroin used?
Heroin can be 'chased', injected, sniffed and
smoked. 'Chasing the dragon', however, is
becoming increasingly popular: The drug is
placed on a piece of aluminium foil and heated.
The vapour is inhaled into the mouth with a
pipe and directly reaches the lungs.
I-low do opiates work?
All opiates have a strong sedative effect, but
heroin in particular. Pain, sorrow, fear, hunger
and cold are no longer felt. There is a short
euphoric effect, (the rush), but also a feeling of
indifference: The outside world no longer
matters. On average, the effect lasts three to
five hours.
Methadone
Methadone, (invented in Germany before the
Second World War), is a synthetic opiate which,
just as heroin, is extremely sedating and painkilling. The big difference is that the effects of
methadone last longer: Not four to six hours but
more like 12 to 24 hours. The body of a
methadone user does not react as quickly, which
enables a normal rhythm, day and night.
Another advantage is that with methadone, no
syringes are involved - and therefore, no danger
from dirty needles! Methadone can simply be
drunk or swallowed in pill form. Methadone can
also be used intravenously. All this makes
methadone very suitable for people wishing to
quit heroin. However, methadone is not
harmless. In principle, it is just as addictive as
heroin. Many users feel that
nethadone is even more addictive.
How can you tell heroin use in prison?
Heroin/methadone users will become luggish and
sleepy. This however, only pplies to 'chippers'
(occasional uses) or when a bigger dose than
usual is ingested. Individuals with a tolerance
often o not display any symptoms of
intoxiation at all. They are difficult to pproach
and slow in their reflexes. eroin and methadone
taken alone never ause aggression in a user.
Users in withdrawal, however, might well be
irritble.
Heroin was once the methadone of
today it was first produced in 1898 and,
among others, sold as medicine against
morphine addiction(!) When it appeared
that heroin was even more addictive
than morphine, most countries
gradually discontinued the
medical use of heroin.