How Do I Know if Someone is Using Heroin?

How to know whether or not someone is on heroin is an all-too-mundane question today, when much of the U.S. is facing a heroin epidemic. Every day there are tragic stories of people who overdose on heroin, and many will die. Policymakers, law enforcement, and families are searching for ways to deal with the heroin crisis that’s occurring in some many places in the United States, including when it impacts their own loved ones.

Research shows the use of heroin has been greatly increasing over the past decade, and the number of people who used heroin for the first time in 2012, when some of the most recent statistics are available, doubled from the number in 2006. What was once thought of as a drug primarily used in inner cities is now found in every suburban community.

How Is Heroin Abused?

Heroin is one of the most addictive drugs available. It’s processed from morphine, which comes from certain types of poppy plants. Heroin usually comes as a white or somewhat brown powder that’s cut with other materials. Today, that cut includes dangerous fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin.

With very pure heroin, smoking or snorting the drug is possible, while heroin that’s not pure is typically injected directly into the user’s veins.

Heroin is classified as an opioid, and it may also be referred to by slang names like dope, smack, and junk. In some cases, users will mix heroin with crack cocaine, which is turns it into a speedball.

How Does Heroin Affect the User?

If you’re wondering whether or not someone you know is on heroin, it can be helpful to have a general understanding of how the drug impacts the user’s brain, because that also indicates some of the symptoms the person may show when using.

After taking a dose of heroin, it reaches the brain very quickly, and it then binds to opioid receptors. It mainly impacts the receptors involved in the management of pain and pleasure feelings, and these opioid receptors are found in the brain stem, which is where many of the body’s essential functions are controlled, including breathing and blood pressure.

It’s important to understand if you’re wondering whether someone you know is on heroin that it’s incredibly addictive. Heroin is not usually the kind of drug that can be done recreationally or socially. Many people become addicted after trying it only one time, and those individuals who do use heroin will almost always need intensive professional treatment.

What Happens When Someone is on Heroin?

When someone first does heroin, they will experience a euphoric rush or high. Along with that high, which is short-lived, there are other physical symptoms and signs that someone is on heroin. These can include flushed skin and dry mouth. People who have just used heroin may also seem to nod off for no reason at all, and alternate between consciousness and semi-consciousness. Their mental function tends to appear clouded and confused as well.

Nodding off is one of the most common and observable signs that can indicate if someone is on heroin. It’s difficult for people to stay in a conversation, they may have a hard time remembering things that happened just moments before, and it seems as if they’re falling asleep. When someone is on heroin, they also may have tiny pupils, often as small as a pinpoint.

Eventually, other signs and symptoms of heroin use may appear. Someone who uses heroin over a prolonged period may experience abscesses where they’re injecting the drug, collapsed veins and various infections. Like other opiate users, people who use heroin may also have constipation and digestive issues.

Eventually, long-term health issues with heroin use can include diseases of the liver, kidney, and lungs, as well as infections around the heart.

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About the Author

Matthew Koenig is a freelance writer and principal of Last Call Marketing which devotes their efforts to Digital Marketing, SEO and Social Engagement. Concentrated in addiction recovery, Mr. Koenig is based out of South Florida. His sober date is June 10, 2013.