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Heroin

Brief Description

Heroin is an addictive drug that is processed from morphine and usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black, sticky substance. It is injected, snorted, or smoked.

Street Names

Smack, H, ska, junk

Effects

Short-term effects of heroin include a surge of euphoria and clouded thinking followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states. Heroin depresses breathing, thus, overdose can be fatal. Users who inject the drug risk infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.

Statistics and Trends

In 2009, 605,000 Americans age 12 and older had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Web Site). The NIDA-funded 2010 Monitoring the Future Study showed that 0.8% of 8th graders, 0.8% of 10th graders, and 0.9% of 12th graders had abused heroin at least once in the year prior to being surveyed. Source: Monitoring the Future (University of Michigan Web Site).

Related Publications

Heroin (DrugFacts)

Revised March 2010.
Offers basic facts about heroin, including how it is abused, its affect on the brain, other health effects, treatment options, and reported use by youth. En Español

Publication Cover

Opiates (Mind Over Matter)

Published January 1997. Revised January 2009.
Describes how opiates, such as Vicodin, morphine, heroin, and codeine, affect the brain, the nervous system, and the limbic system, which controls emotions. En Español

Research Report: Heroin Cover

Heroin: Abuse and Addiction (Research Reports)

Published October 1997. Revised May 2005.
Offers the latest scientific information on heroin abuse, exploring the health and medical consequences of its use, maternal heroin abuse, and treatment options for heroin addiction. En Español

Related Resources

Other Resources

Past information on many drugs of abuse is available on our Archives site.

Tags

This page was last updated December 2012

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