Heroin

Heroin is a powerful opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant. Heroin is a powerful opioid drug made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of the Asian opium poppy plant.^14,46

Use of heroin produces euphoria and feelings of relaxation. Regular heroin use changes the functioning of the brain, causing tolerance and dependence. Heroin can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin. Heroin can be pure or mixed with fillers or other drugs such as fentanyl. Other common names for heroin include big H, hell dust, dope, horse, junk, and smack.⁴⁶

The 2022 Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that 0.3% (or 900,000 people) of the population aged 12 and older had a heroin disorder in the past year. Approximately 73,000 utilized heroin for the first time within the 2022 calendar year. Drug overdose deaths involving heroin rose from 1,960 in 1999 to 15,482 in 2017 before trending down to 13,165 deaths in 2020 and 9,173 deaths in 2021.⁶¹ Although nationwide heroin-involved drug use decreased heroin overdose remains a significant problem (see Figure 16).⁵⁷

Figure 16. National Overdose Deaths Involving Heroin*, by other Opioid Involvement, Number Among All Ages, 1999-2021⁶¹

Figure 16. National Overdose Deaths Involving Heroin*, by other Opioid Involvement, Number Among All Ages, 1999-2021⁶¹

Heroin can be injected, smoked or snorted.⁴⁶ Because heroin is so rapid acting and users do not know the actual strength or purity of the drug, uses face a high risk of overdose or death. In particular, heroin that is mixed with fentanyl or carfentanyl has a significantly increased risk of causing overdose or death. ^46,51