Heroin

Heroin, like opium and morphine, is made from the resin of poppy plants. It is usually taken by injecting, snorting or smoking it. Heroin has a tranquilizing and painkilling effect. The user feels a rush of euphoria, followed by drowsiness and sedation.

Breathing slows and there’s a warm flushing of the skin. For many people, it becomes addictive very quickly. Injecting the drug can create a risk of AIDS, hepatitis (liver disease), heart infections and other problems caused by sharing contaminated needles. Some of these health problems can be passed on to sexual partners and newborns. Violence and crime are frequently linked to heroin use.

Street Names:

• Big H
• Brown Sugar
• H
• Horse
• Junk
• Skag
• Smack

Short‑Term Effects:

Users experience clouded thinking, nausea and vomiting. The ability to feel pain may be reduced, so injuries or illnesses might go unnoticed. Pregnant women who use heroin are at risk of miscarriage. Heart functions slow down and breathing is severely reduced. Taking too much can cause a person to stop breathing and die.

Long‑Term Effects:

Scarred or collapsed veins, bacterial infections in the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses and other soft-tissue infections, inflamed gums, bad teeth, liver or kidney disease and lung problems such as pneumonia. Sharing needles can lead to hepatitis, AIDS and other blood-borne diseases.

Updated: 2025