Heroin Dangers and Overdose

Overdose

The biggest risk is death from overdose. It's impossible to judge the purity of street heroin. Many accidental overdoses have occurred when a batch of particularly pure heroin is released onto the streets, overwhelming the built-up tolerances of regular users.

Smoking or snorting, rather than injecting, reduces the chance of overdosing but does not eliminate it.



The signs of an overdose of smack can be difficult to spot, at least at first. The heroin user experiences the usual symptoms associated with taking the drug, including dry mouth, small pupils and constipation. The excess amount of the Big H in the user's system can lead to slow, shallow breathing. The person may even stop breathing entirely.

Other signs of overdose include low blood pressure and a weak pulse. Lack of oxygen can lead to the nails and the smack user's lips taking on a bluish tinge. Drowsiness occurs, and the person who has overdosed on the drug may lose consciousness and slip into a coma. If an overdose is suspected, seek medical attention immediately.

Heroin works on the central nervous system. It slows down the heartbeat. Breathing is dramatically slowed as well. Consciousness may be lost. Any of these effects can be fatal if the dose is too high.

Depending on purity and the user, a lethal dose of heroin may range from 200 to 500mg, but hardened addicts have survived doses of 1800mg and over.

However, with street heroin there is no absolutely certain "safe dosage". It depends on tolerance, amount and purity taken.

Overdose can occur when a dose taken is greater than what the user is used to. A tolerable dose for an addict could be fatal to a first-time user.

Take a little to begin with and wait.

Tolerance to heroin in particular is quickly acquired. Even occasional weekend users need to take more to get the same effect over time.

Remember - tolerance can drop. Some users have overdosed on their 'regular dose', after just a few weeks' break.