Heroin

Brief Description:	An addictive drug that is processed from morphine and usually appears as a white or brown powder.
Street Names:	Smack, H, ska, junk, and many others.
Effects:	Short-term effects include a surge of euphoria followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states and cloudy mental functioning. Associated with fatal overdose and- particularly in users who inject the drug-infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Statistics and Trends:	In 2006, 560,000 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; http://www.samhsa.gov/. The NIDA-funded 2007 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 http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/.

	NIDA InfoFacts: Heroin. Summary of research findings for a general audience. (Fact sheet). En Español
	NIDA Research Report: Heroin: Abuse and Addiction. More detailed look at the latest research findings. For a general audience. (Report). En Español

View all related NIDA publications >> 1562740since 10/25/99

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