Method of Taking Heroin

[Gemma]

My partner is a heroin addict. How can I tell whether he injects or 'smokes' it? He has admitted he is an addict but wont tell me how he takes it???

[mambios]

I guess the easiest way would be to look at what paraphernalia his has with him.

Other than that you could look on his arms\legs etc for bruises or track marks that may indicate that he's injecting.

There is probably a way for telling if he's smoking but I'm 100% sure on that.

[exjunky]

Snorting it is possible as well.

If he's been using it for a long time, I'd lay money on the fact that he shoots it. That's just the natural progression of things.

Plus, it's a little weird that he would confess to you that he uses it but refuses to confess the ROA (route of administration). That also leads me to believe that he shoots it, since that is one of the biggest stigmas of heroin use.

You've given blood before right? You know the spot where they go first to draw blood, it's right in the crook of the arm. Check out that spot on one of his arms. If you see any scar tissue or red marks, go to the other arm. One thing which is a given with heroin users is that for every spot which is a viable injection site, they will also use the other site on the other side of their body. Injection sites always come in twos.

(Well, not quite all injection sites come in twos. The big exception is the jugular vein, and there's one more exception which is so ghastly I won't even mention here among such sensitive and gentle people. Let's just say it only applies to male junkies and leave it at that.)

[attagirl]

That would be my first guess as well. You will be able to see that there are marks left if he is injecting. Even the very small needles will leave marks that can be seen.

[Gemma]

What would the injection site look like and where are the common places to do it where he wouldnt think i would see? I don't know what I'm looking for as I havent ever seen any ??

[jade]

I would start snooping around for little things. If he's shooting up, you'll see little burn marks from the bottom of the spoon on flat surfaces (if he's using tar), and little pieces of cotton.
Also, I've never met a junky that didn't have a little box that they kept their stuff in, like needles, cotton, a little water bottle, etc. I know that the last thing you want to do is snoop around like that, but believe me, it's better than finding him not breathing. And if he refuses to tell you how he's using, he is probably shooting up.
I'm so sorry that you are in this kind of a situation. I know that when I was using, it put my now husband through hell, and I will never be able to make it up to him.

[fever]

If he is injecting the drug then it is very easy to find out by just watching the marks of a needle on its hands and if their are no marks may be he uses some other way

[lostweight]

Does it really matter how he's doing it? Is he asking for help?

[HhasMeHooked]

If he is smoking look to see if your kitchen foil is missing or being used quickly look for strange black smudges on his fingers, nose, pants in his car any where. Snorting would be hard to tell all he would need is something to snort it with, needle marks look in the crook of his elbow near his ankles top of feet, shoulders , maybe he pops it in his muscles look on his butt or thighs, if his pupils are constricted he is high if hes face seems pale but his nose is red he is high.

[exjunky]

Good point about smoking it--smokers always leave foil balls behind. Go through the garbage where he would most likely toss used foil. If you find a ball of foil with black stuff on it, bad news.

[addictionstyle]

Heroin is a powerful drug that numbs pain and produces strong feelings of euphoria and well-being. It also slows down breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to drowsiness, coma, respiratory failure and even death. People who use heroin are at great risk of becoming dependent on it.