WHERE'S YOUR HEAD AT?

National Drugs Campaign

GET THE FACTS

M

Marijuana (CANNABIS)

Pot, grass, weed, reefer, joint, Mary-Jane, Acapulco Gold, rope, mull, cone, spliff, dope, skunk, bhang, ganja, hash, chronic... More

I

Ice

Meth, crystal meth, d-meth, shabu, tina, glass... More

S

Speed

Uppers, ice, meth, crystal, whizz, snow, go-ee, shabu, point, paste, base, zip, eve, leopard's blood, oxblood, gogo, MDEA... More

E

Ecstasy

E, Ex, E and C, eccy, MDMA, PMA, adam, XTC, love drug, eggs... More

C

Cocaine

Coke, flake, snow, happy dust, Charlie, gold dust, Cecil, C, freebase, toot, white girl, Scotty, white lady. Crack cocaine-crack, rock, base, sugar block... More

H

Heroin

Horse, hammer, H, dope, smack, junk, gear, boy... More

C

GHB

G, fantasy, grievous bodily harm (GBH), liquid ecstasy and liquid E... More

AT

Alcohol + Tobacco

It's easy to forget that alcohol and tobacco are drugs too... More

DRUGS


Heroin


OTHER NAMES:
Horse, hammer, H, dope, smack, junk, gear, boy

IMPACTS:
The symptoms of using heroin can include:

    • Lethargy
    • Drowsiness
    • Nausea
    • Constipation
    • Constricted pupils
    • Slowed breathing

Consequences of using heroin can include:

    • High risk of addiction
    • Mood swings
    • Depression
    • Anxiety disorders
    • Chronic constipation
    • Infection at site of injection
    • HIV and hepatitis infections through sharing of needles
    • Non-fatal overdose
    • Death from overdose

OTHER FACTS:
Heroin is an 'opioid', which is a term that refers to substances similar to the drug morphine. Street heroin is mixed with other substances, such as glucose, caffeine, sugar and paracetamol. These additives can be dangerous when added to heroin.

Because there's no way to tell the purity of heroin being used, users can't gauge the amount they are taking and can accidentally overdose. Heroin overdose is one of the leading causes of death in Australia in 18 to 34 year-olds, and non-fatal overdoses are common amongst heroin users.

Mixing heroin with other drugs including alcohol contributes to the risk of overdose.

Injecting heroin brings about other problems. Injecting can lead to collapsed veins, abscesses through injecting and damage to the heart and lungs. Sharing needles and syringes, for instance, can greatly increase the risk of contracting hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS.

MORE INFO / LINKS:
For information or help about drugs call the National Drugs Campaign Info Line on 1800 250 015 (freecall).

For more information about drugs and links to support services, go to the Helping Hands section of this site.