1. There is no typical heroin user. This drug is abused by all ages, economic levels, and professions, and the substance abuse is not always easy to spot in the beginning.
2. Overdose is just one of the risks with heroin use. This drug can also lead to liver disease, infections of the heart and other organs, abscesses in the skin and underlying tissues, and higher risks for HIV and other viral infections.
3. Heroin can be abused in several ways. Users may snort, inject, or even smoke the drug in order to get high.
4. An addiction to heroin can occur very quickly, sometimes with just one or two uses.
5. Heroin addiction causes physical withdrawal symptoms that can be severe, and these symptoms may begin within hours of the last use.
6. Heroin withdrawal symptoms can last a week or longer, and in severe cases the user may experience symptoms after a month or more without the drug.
7. Heroin was introduced in the year 1898, when a pharmaceutical company in Germany named Bayer introduced the drug as a treatment for morphine addiction and tuberculosis.
8. Without medical oversight detox from heroin can be fatal at times, especially if the user is in poor health and the heroin abuse is chronic and severe.
9. Heroin addiction can lead to years of cravings, especially during periods of stress or when other relapse triggers occur. Treatment does not stop these cravings, but it can help the user avoid a relapse by giving them the tools needed to prevent this issue.
10. Heroin often contains other drugs and even toxic ingredients, these are used to cut the heroin and can be deadly.
