Heroin Overdose & Drug Rehabilitation

Heroin works on the central nervous system. The abuser's heartbeat slows as well as their breathing, which may cause them to lose consciousness. Any of these effects can be fatal if the dose is too high. Depending on purity of the drug and the user, a lethal dose of heroin may range from 200 to 500mg. Hardened addicts have survived doses of 1800mg and over. However, with street heroin, there is no absolutely "safe dosage". It depends on the abuser's tolerance, the amount taken, and purity taken. Overdose can occur when the dose taken is greater than that you're used to. A tolerable dose for an addict could be fatal to a first-time user. Tolerance to heroin in particular is quickly acquired. Even occasional weekend users need to take more of the drug to get the same effect over time. Tolerance can also drop over time. Some users have overdosed on their "regular dose," after just a few weeks of Abstinence.

Symptoms of a Heroin overdose include but are not limited to:

muscle spasticity
slow and labored breathing
shallow breathing
stopped breathing (sometimes fatal within 2-4 hours)
pinpoint pupils
dry mouth
cold and clammy skin
tongue discoloration
bluish colored fingernails and lips
spasms of the stomach and/or intestinal tract
constipation
weak pulse
low blood pressure
drowsiness
disorientation
coma
delirium

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Both new and experienced users risk overdosing on heroin because it is impossible for them to know the purity of the heroin they are using. (Heroin sold on the street often is mixed with other substances such as sugar, starch, or quinine. An added risk results when heroin is mixed with poisons such as strychnine.) Heroin overdoses--which can result whether the drug is snorted, smoked, or injected--can cause slow and shallow breathing, convulsions, coma, and even death.

According to federal government studies, shifts in the international drug market have doubled heroin production since the mid-1980s, leading to lower street prices for the drug. Those same studies conclude there are about eight million heroin abusers worldwide, with approximately a quarter of that group - two million - in the United States.

Cocaine powder is also dissolved in water and used intravenously ("slammed"). In this form, it has a high melting point, so it cannot be smoked. Those who choose to smoke cocaine utilize a method known as freebasing.

Today, cocaine is a Schedule II drug, meaning that it has high potential for abuse but can be administered by a doctor for legitimate medical uses, such as local anesthesia for some eye, ear, and throat surgeries.

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