Opiates
What it is
Opiates are a group of drugs known as ‘downers’ derived from the sticky resin of the opium poppy seedpod. Opiates include opium, heroin, morphine, methadone, codeine and pethidine.
The use of heroin is relatively low in New Zealand. Instead, much of New Zealand opiate use is derived from morphine sulphate tablets, methadone and other opioid pharmaceuticals.
Opiates are extremely addictive.
What it does
Opiates are depressants which means they slow down the messages in the user's central nervous system. In medicine they are used as powerful pain killers. Opiates such as heroin are converted in the brain into morphine producing a powerful and pleasurable warm ‘cotton wool’ effect. Users say that after a ‘hit’ of opiates, they feel a surge of euphoria, a warm feeling over their skin and their body feels heavy.
Myths and legends
If you don’t inject heroin you won’t become addicted
This is a myth! And a dangerous one at that. Opiates are highly addictive no matter how you take them.
Risks
The biggest risk to using opiates is overdose. Tolerance develops with regular use so a user needs more to get the same effect. Users who use intravenously are also at risk of catching infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Intravenous (IV) drug use poses risks to the user’s health, especially the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and skin infections. Sharing needles or syringes is extremely risky because this is the way infection can be transmitted. Never share your injecting equipment. If you need clean needles, there are needle exchange centres in most major centres in New Zealand. Exchange centres are listed here.
Opiates and heroin withdrawal
Opiates, including heroin, are highly addictive, so regular users who attempt to reduce or stop using will often experience symptoms of withdrawal. Symptoms can vary from person to person but they can include:
- cravings for the drug
- yawning
- loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhoea
- stomach and muscle cramps
- irritability
- depression
- insomnia
- agitation.
These symptoms usually last several days to a week, though some symptoms like depression, insomnia and drug cravings can persist for months or even years.
It is important to remember that not everyone will experience these symptoms – if you are worried about reducing or stopping your opiate or heroin use, contact a health care professional.
