Heroin is an illegal, very addictive opioid. It is made from morphine, which comes from the seedpod of the opium poppy, grown in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico and Colombia. It can be a white or brown powder or a black, sticky substance called black tar heroin.
People inject, sniff, snort or smoke it; some mix it with crack cocaine ("speedballing"). Every route gets it to the brain very fast, which is what makes it so addictive.
Short-term effects
Users describe a "rush" of pleasure, followed by warm, flushed skin, dry mouth and heavy-feeling arms and legs, sometimes with severe itching, nausea and vomiting. Then come several hours of drowsiness, with slowed breathing.
Long-term effects
- liver, kidney and lung disease;
- mental disorders;
- abscesses;
- for people who inject: HIV, hepatitis, bacterial infections of the skin, bloodstream and heart (endocarditis), and collapsed veins that block blood flow.
Tolerance, dependence and addiction
| What it means | |
|---|---|
| Tolerance | Needing more and more heroin for the same effect |
| Dependence | The body relies on the drug; stopping brings withdrawal — restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps |
| Heroin use disorder (addiction) | A chronic brain disorder: continuing to use despite health problems and failing at work, school or home, until getting and using heroin becomes the main purpose in life |
Overdose
Anyone who uses heroin can overdose, because they never know how strong it is or what's been added. Most heroin in the United States is mixed with illegally made fentanyl (IMF), and heroin with IMF, other drugs or alcohol raises the risk.
In an overdose, heart rate and breathing slow — sometimes so much that the brain doesn't get enough oxygen (hypoxia), which can cause coma, permanent brain damage or death.
Naloxone saves lives
Naloxone can reverse a heroin or other opioid overdose if given in time, by blocking the opioid's effects; sometimes more than one dose is needed. It comes as a nasal spray and an injection that anyone can use without medical training. People at risk of overdose are encouraged to carry naloxone, which is sold at pharmacies.
Treatment
Treatment for heroin use disorder includes medicines that ease withdrawal, medicines that block opioids' effects, and behavioral treatments — often most effective combined. A health care provider can help build a plan that fits each person's needs.
Sources
Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Heroin," National Library of Medicine, with a summary from NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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