Just found out friend OD'ed on Heroin, advice?

I just found out that one of my good friends od'ed on heroin a couple of days ago. My friend (who was with him) says he had a hit on the couch, then five minutes later just fell onto the carpet and started turning blue. He wasn't breathing, so my friends called an ambulance. Lucky they were able to revive him. It was his first time trying hammer (so they say), he pretty much uses speed every day (IV). I spoke to him on the phone today and told him if I ever hear of him shooting up heroin I will fly over to Perth (I live in Cairns) and kick his arse. He told me he will never try that shit again but I dont beleive him. I hate the fact that he is addicted to speed as it is. He's getting manky grinded up nubs for teeth and I am really worried for his sake. But what can I do? I have known him for nearly 13 years now. I would be crushed if I found out he died and I never tried to help him at all. So what can I do? I dont know. It used to be that we (and other friends) would just smoke heaps of weed, drink piss and take the occasional trip, but ever since I left Perth (about 6 years ago) they have started on speed, and now H. Any serious advice would be very much appreciated.

It's a hard one to advise on, but there have been some good threads in the past which might give you an idea on how to approach it. Your story reminded me of this thread started by by sonic_reality

My Friends Have Lost It

It might not provide the answers but it may help to make you feel you are not alone with this sort of problem, which can be made all the worse by the distance between.

I've lost a couple of close mates to Heroin so I know how frustrating it is when friendly warnings fall on deaf ears. Good luck my innerself.

IV=Filthy habit alone

My Innerself:- Sorry to hear about your mate. But, first off... please DO NOT be under the misonception that IV'ing Heroin is alot worse for you than IV'ing Speed. Actually, from what I have read it's quiet the contrary.

Using Heroin alone is alot more "mellower" on the bodily functions than what using Meth or Speed is. Plus, from what I have read Heroin... the actual product itself (not it's adulterants) is actually not a brain detereorating substance.

Don't get me wrong however, it is most definately not a "healthy" thing having a smack habit, especially if you've been intraveinously injecting that shit that has been cut in God-knows what environments.

If I was you though... I would tell your mate to get rid of his speed habit before anything. It's usually the "speedfreaks" or "Meth-Heads" that are the agressive, mental-messes that they usually are.
That doesn't mean to say he will not encounter problems with a Heroin habit either, my only advice to you is this!! GET HIM AWAY FROM THE NEEDLE!! Alot of IV users end up with health debilitating diseases such as Hepatitis C, etc... and I believe this is a majority.

Try asking the guy if he shoots up in a sanitary, bacteria-free, hospital-like environment every time he uses... and if he replies in a smartass answer like, "YES!! I do actually". Ask him if he knows his gear has been manafactured, processed and cut in a sterile, bacteria-free environment. If he asks what you're getting at, tell him to "think about all the dirty hands his gear could have been through without his knowledge, with which he is directly injecting into his veins."

Wish your friend the best of luck for me My Innerself :D

Ohhh... and "cooking" your product does not rid it of all the bacteria and nasties. Alot yes, but not all.

Thanks everyone for your advice, I am still unsure of how I can help my friend. I have asked him alot about his speed habit to which he replys "I have tryed to quit before, but its too hard". I was thinking about maybe telling his parents (he still lives at home), I think that they know of his habit but maybe if I stress the importance of the situation to them and maybe tell them of his OD. But my friends dad is recovering from cancer and the stress of that may have ill effects on him. also, telling his folks might just make it worse on him, and make him hate me.

Don't go telling his parents mate. They will/can not make his habit disappear, if anything this will only amplify the situation and yes... you could very well lose him as a friend, if he can't trust you, he won't want to know you.

I'm sure he has heard all this before, as most problematic habituated users have... but HE is the only one that can make the autonamic decisions himself.

You can give the guy advice, and he will more than likely (if he's a decent guy) will respect you for this. But whether he takes it or not, is an entirely different thing altogether.

Just tell him that if an OD via:- IV administration isn't enough to scare the shit out of him using again... then nothing probably will and him surviving this Overdose is life giving him a second chance.

If he finds speed almost impossible to quit, then Heroin will make the speed seem like a honeymoon if he acquires a Heroin addiction.

Shit!! Even if you were to take the lengths of speaking to his speed dealer(s) and telling them not to deal so much to him, cutting off his supplier. He'll just find another one and if he finds out, he will probably despise you for making life harder for him.

Also, if you use yourself (even if it be not so often) I could only encourage you *NOT* to speak of your romantic endevours with drugs to the guy... as this will add a sense of glorification to his current situation. "Heck, if my best mate is doing it, it's not all bad for sure!!"

If all else fails, tell him to visit this site and read some of the Dark Side threads. Or even Erowid has some stories on Methamphetamine usage to scare Adolf Hitler himself from using the drug.

i think you can only hope that this brush with death will give your friend a wake-up call.

personally i agree with deformed neuron - it is not your place to tell his parents or cut him of from his dealers. he will only resent you for this.

My ex od'd once on H - he was supposed to meet me outside work and he did in terrible state - he had turned blue and conked out - someone called the ambulance and they revived him. and stole his wallet - which turned up 5 days later outside our flat door?

I went BESERK - but because he was a stubborn bugger, he wouldnt have me shout at him - so i just said- well if you stick pins in yourself again you will be alone when it happens and that's up to you. I will not stand by you and - who am I kidding, I am going to break every bone in your body if I find you with a pin again!
He gave up IV for 3 years until he did it to get back at me for something and when I left 6 months ago, I found out he was injecting all the time and I feel so bad - I should have been there. However, all's well now and he working towards cleanery also. so....

it's hard but there's nothing you can do if someone wants to do it - some become addicted to the feel of the needle as much as the goop itself

thanks again everyone for your advice. I spoke to my mate again last night and he said that he wasn't going near the stuff again, he seemed pretty beleiving to me, cross my fingers on this one I think.

I spoke to him on the phone today and told him if I ever hear of him shooting up heroin I will fly over to Perth (I live in Cairns) and kick his arse. He told me he will never try that shit again but I dont beleive him. I hate the fact that he is addicted to speed as it is. He's getting manky grinded up nubs for teeth and I am really worried for his sake. But what can I do?

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Fly over to Perth and kick his ass.. that's what i would do if any of my friends started shooting up heroin or even smoking it for that matter. Not to say you aren't a good friend or anything but fuck me dead, weigh up the positives and negatives and tell me why anyone fucks around with this drug. Jesus christ..??