Heroin

Effects on Behavior

• Decreases pain 
• Decreases attention to the real world
• There are unpleasant withdrawal effects
• Incapable of concentration or clear thought 

Heroin mimics natural opiates and binds to opiate receptors. This allows dopamine to flood the synapse, producing feelings of sedation and well being.

Our bodies opiates are natural painkillers, effective when we get an injury. This is why morphine, a drug related to Heroin, is used as a painkiller.

Short term effects

• Central : Euphoria, alternate alert and drowsy state
• Mouth: Dryness
• Skin: Warm, flushing
• Respiratory: Slowed Breathing
• Muscular: Weakness

Long term effects

• Central: addiction, tolerance, dependence
• Respiratory: Pneumonia
• Heart: Infection of heart lining and valves
• Circulatory: Collapsed veins
• Liver: Decreased function

In addition to the effects of the drug itself, street heroin often contains toxic contaminants or additives that can clog blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain, causing permanent damage to vital organs.

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How it looks

• Introversion
• Depression
• Pustules on face
• Loss of appetite
• Bad teeth