Also called: Also called: H, Junk, Skag, Smack
Heroin is a drug made from morphine, a natural substance in the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Heroin can be injected, smoked or snorted. Heroin abuse is a serious problem in the United States. Major health problems from heroin include miscarriages, heart infections and death from overdose. People who inject the drug also risk infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis.
Regular use of heroin can lead to tolerance. This means users need more and more drug to have the same effect. At higher doses over time, the body becomes dependent on heroin. If dependent users stop heroin, they have withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, diarrhea, vomiting and cold flashes.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
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Heroin(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/heroin.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Heroin-Sp.html
- Heroin(Office of National Drug Control Policy) - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/heroin/index.html
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Heroin Abuse and Addiction(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Heroin/Heroin.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Heroina/Heroina.html
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Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/TreatMeth.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/Metodos-Sp.html
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What Is Substance Abuse Treatment? A Booklet for Families(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - Large PDF file - http://www.kap.samhsa.gov/products/brochures/pdfs/WhatIsTx.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://kap.samhsa.gov/mli/docs/spanish/WhatIsTx-Spanish.pdf
- Sara's Quest(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://teens.drugabuse.gov/sarasquest/index.asp
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Heroin Dependence(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Heroin+Dependence%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Narcotics(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Narcotics%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Substance-Related Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Substance-Related+Disorders%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Methadone(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=methadone
- Depot Naltrexone Appears Safe and Effective for Heroin Addiction(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N3/depot.html
- Interim Methadone Raises Odds of Enrolling in Comprehensive Treatment(National Institute on Drug Abuse) - http://www.nida.nih.gov/NIDA_notes/NNvol21N3/interim.html
- Article: Results of the first North American prescription heroin study are... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19294776&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Inquest begins into deaths after concerns about diamorphine prescribing. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19258360&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Efficacy of treatment in an opioid -dependent population group using... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19252726&tool=MedlinePlus
- Heroin -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=heroin+dependence[majr]+OR+heroin/ae[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade: Heroin(Office of National Drug Control Policy) - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByType.asp?intTypeID=5
- Buprenorphine Physician Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://buprenorphine.samhsa.gov/bwns_locator/dr_facilitylocatordoc.htm
- Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://dasis3.samhsa.gov/
- Drug Enforcement Administration - http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/
- National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov/
- Office of National Drug Control Policy - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
- Partnership for a Drug-Free America - http://www.drugfree.org/
- Characteristics of Primary Heroin Injection and Inhalation Admissions: 2002(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k4/heroin/heroin.htm
- National Drug Threat Assessment 2005(National Drug Intelligence Center) - http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs11/12620/heroin.htm
- Nonmedical Oxycodone Users: A Comparison with Heroin Users(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k4/oxycodoneH/oxycodoneH.htm
- What You Need to Know About Drugs: Heroin(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/drugs_alcohol/know_drugs_heroin.html
- Tips for Teens: The Truth about Heroin(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/PHD860/
- Drug Abuse - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugabuse.html
- Substance Abuse Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/substanceabuseproblems.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Heroin is the National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov/