NCJ Number
223969
Date Published
March 2010
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Informational facts are presented on the use and effects of heroin.
Abstract
Heroin is a synthetic opiate drug that is highly addictive. It is made from morphine, a natural substance extracted from the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder, or as a black sticky substance. Heroin can be injected, snorted/sniffed, or smoked which are routes that rapidly deliver the drug to the brain. With regular heroin use, tolerance develops requiring the abuser to use more of the drug to achieve the same intensity of effect. Heroin is associated with serious and sometimes fatal health conditions. A range of treatments exist for heroin addiction, including medications and behavioral therapies. According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future survey, there were no significant changes since 2006 in the proportion of students in 8th, 10th, and 12 grades reporting lifetime, past-year, and past-month use of heroin overall. According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of current (past-month) heroin users in the United States increased from 136,000 in 2005 to 338,000 in 2006. This fact sheet provides an informational overview of the drug’s use and abuse, effects on the brain and on the general health of the body, treatment options, and national statistics on the widespread abuse of heroin.