However, if you choose to use heroin in spite of the risks, you can protect yourself and others from some of the worst consequences of heroin use by following these harm reduction tips for heroin users. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Snorting heroin doesn’t have quite as instant an effect as smoking or injecting, but it will still take effect very quickly with much lower risk than injecting it. While all methods of heroin use carry the risk of overdose, it’s less likely with smoking because you can stop once you feel high, whereas with injecting, once the drug is in your body, you can’t do anything to reduce the effects or the overdose risk (see tip 3). Clean needles are freely available through needle exchange services. If you don’t know where your nearest needle exchange is, read how to find a needle exchange, which includes links to listings in several different countries. In an emergency, you can clean your needles by flushing them out with undiluted bleach, then flushing them with water three times. Remember, blunt needles cause vein damage. Signs of overdose include:
Fewer than 12 breaths a minuteLoss of consciousnessLack of response to pain
One way to prevent heroin addiction and promote harm reduction is to keep your dose low and infrequent, never increase the dose, and to back off from heroin completely if you find your usual dose is not effective. Another option to consider if you have difficulty controlling your impulses is naltrexone. This is an oral slow-acting drug that blocks the opiate receptors so you won’t get high on heroin. Suboxone, another option, combines buprenorphine and naloxone and works similarly to methadone to minimize withdrawal symptoms.
