Brief Description
Heroin is an opioid drug that is synthesized from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance, known as “black tar heroin.” Learn more
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
| Drug |
Time Period |
8th- Graders |
10th- Graders |
12th- Graders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heroin | Lifetime | [0.8] | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Past Year | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | |
| Past Month | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
* Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year.
| Drug |
Time Period |
Ages 12 or Older |
Ages 12-17 |
Ages 18-25 |
Ages 26 or Older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heroin | Lifetime | 1.6 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Past Year | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.2 | |
| Past Month | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
* Data in brackets indicate statistically significant change from the previous year.
Related Publications
Related Resources
Emerging Trends
Get more information on Emerging Trends, we will update this page with the latest research findings as they develop.
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Heroin: Abuse and Addiction
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.
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