Heroin

Get the facts…

• Heroin enters the brain quickly
• Slows down the way you think, your reaction time, and memory
• Affects actions and decisions
• Injecting greatly increases risk for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other diseases
• Is highly addictive because it enters the brain so quickly
• Effects the part of the brain responsible for producing physical dependence
• One of the top 2 frequently reported drugs by medical examiners in drug abuse deaths

Before you risk it…

• Is an illegal Schedule I drug, meaning that it is in the group of the most highly addictive drugs
• Any method of use (snorting, smoking, swallowing, or injecting) can cause immediate harm and lead to addiction

Signs of heroin use…

• Euphoria
• Drowsiness
• Impaired mental functioning
• Slowed down respiration
• Constricted pupils
• Nausea

Signs of heroin overdose…

• Shallow breathing
• Pinpoint pupils
• Clammy skin
• Convulsions
• Coma