Heroin is processed from morphine, which is extracted from seeds of certain types of poppy plants. Pure heroin is a white powder, but it is frequently combined with additives so that its color may range from white to dark brown. Recently, more crudely produced "black tar heroin" has gained in popularity; its texture varies from sticky to hard lumps, and color ranges from dark brown to black.
Heroin can be injected, sniffed/snorted, or smoked. It produces a sense of euphoria; the speed of onset depends on the method by which the drug is taken, with intravenous injection producing the most rapid onset or "rush."
General effects of heroin include: intense, short-lived euphoria; lowered heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate; nausea, drowsiness, poor concentration; lowered body temperature, decreased appetite and decreased sexual drive. Long term effects include: mood swings, severe constipation, menstrual irregularities, lung damage, skin infections, seizures, and coma.
Heroin is highly addictive in any form, and overdose is often lethal. The DEA has reported nearly 4,000 heroin overdose deaths per year in the last several years.
Signs and symptoms of use:
Adapted from: Publishers Group (Spring, 2002). Street Drugs: Drug Identification Guide. Plymouth, MN: Author.
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