Rehab centre sees dramatic heroin increase

The centre treats patients across Gauteng, including the East Rand.

Even more alarming is that many of these heroin users inject the drug, which was traditionally the final stage of administration.

This is according to the head of Rand Aid Association’s Wedge Gardens, Adèl Grobbelaar, who has dedicated over three decades to assisting alcohol and drug addicts in an attempt to reintegrate them back into society.

“Now they seem to skip sniffing and smoking the opiate and go straight to injecting it, which increases their risk of contracting HIV and other diseases.

“Heroin’s addictiveness is scary. As an opiate, it affects opioid receptors throughout the body and mimics endorphins, reducing pain and causing pleasure.

“When you inject heroin, you are basically training your brain to make you crave it. When you consider the nasty withdrawal symptoms and the fact that the drug works almost instantly, it is no wonder heroin is the most addictive drug in the world,” says Grobbelaar, who has Honours degrees in social work and psychology.

“Shockingly, many people get addicted to heroin accidentally, because drug dealers often add heroin to marijuana. A person may think they are using dagga when in fact heroin has been mixed into the joint. They quickly get hooked.

“Another threat is nyaope, a dangerous drug relatively new on the streets. It is highly prevalent in low-income areas and is common in many townships.

“Mostly used by youngsters, they are often unaware that this combination of different drugs, including Rattex, dagga and HIV/Aids treatment meds, also contains low-grade heroin.”

Heroin is one of the opiates extracted from the poppy plant. Before reaching the final user, successive dealers mix the heroin with all sorts of other substances, such as caffeine, aspirin, sugar or flour.

The appearance, thus, varies from a coarse white powder to yellow-brown chunks called ‘brown’ or “smack”.

“With the use of heroin, one’s breathing and heart-rate is literally slowed down. The body temperature drops a little. The pupils contract greatly. Opiates impair the functioning of the intestines and the sphincter muscles. What the user experiences, however, is an absence of pain, dejection, anxiety, hunger and cold.

“The user enters a state of extreme relaxation, turns inward and becomes totally indifferent; the outside world no longer matters.”

Grobbelaar says that between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of all recent Wedge Gardens admissions are heroin-related. She adds that the addiction is so difficult to treat that some rehabilitation centres limit the number of beds set aside for heroin addiction.

“These are hardcore users. Their life journey has been rudely interrupted. They are usually in conflict with the law, have been rejected by their family and are unemployed. Many have a dual diagnosis and suffer from depression, substance abuse-induced bipolar conditions, are schizophrenic and suicidal.

“Heroin addicts come from all income brackets although we have noticed that it is mostly used by men.”

“These people face a hard road to becoming drug-free.”

Grobbelaar says that 60 per cent of heroin addicts relapse within the first two to three days of treatment.

“They should strongly consider harm reduction medication. Whilst abstinence is the ideal, because heroin addiction is so difficult to treat, people need to accept that the harm reduction approach offers the greatest chance of success.”

Grobbelaar also advocates an holistic approach.

“Heroin users have generally damaged all areas of their life. You cannot simply get them clean, send them to lectures and then tell them to go home. A 21-day treatment programme is not going to be enough to undo the years of damage they have done to themselves and their loved ones.”

Other current Wedge admissions relate to milder opiates like over-the-counter medicines containing codeine, as well as cough mixtures; crystal meths (also known as tik); CAT (a cheaper alternative to cocaine) and alcohol.

“Often, heroin is also added to CAT and crystal meths to get users hooked quicker,” says Grobbelaar.

“The heroin causes stomach cramps and muscle aches and the user then takes more drugs to rid themselves of these symptoms. We often have people telling us on admission to Wedge that they are addicted to CAT, for instance, but when we test them, we find opiates in their system.”

Grobbelaar can be reached on 011 430 0320.

You can also follow Wedge on Facebook at WedgeGardensTreatmentCentre or Twitter at @WedgeGardens.