• Heroin is very addictive. Users who form a habit can end up taking the drug just to feel normal. Addicted users need a constant supply of heroin. Getting the money to buy the drug can dominate their lives. Some users resort to crime to pay for their habit.

• Withdrawing from heroin can be very hard. Some people manage to kick the habit, but mentally it may take years to be free of it. A user is likely to need professional help to withdraw from heroin.

• When heroin is smoked, the effects are felt in seconds, but wear off quickly. Smoking repeatedly can lead to increased tolerance and addiction.

• When heroin is injected there is an increased risk of physical damage and death from overdose.

• Sharing injecting equipment puts users at risk of dangerous infections like HIV and hepatitis.

• Often heroin available on the street is contaminated with other substances. Injecting contaminated heroin can cause abscesses and other infections.

• Users who start by smoking or snorting heroin sometimes switch to injection to maximise the high.

• Users can get addicted to heroin whether they smoke, snort or inject it.

• Risks are increased if heroin is mixed with other drugs, particularly alcohol. The combination of heroin and alcohol can kill.

• There is no guarantee how strong a particular batch of heroin is, so a user may not know what dose they are taking. Users risk accidental overdose.
• If someone takes heroin regularly, the body gets used to the drug (this is known as ‘tolerance’). When ‘tolerance’ builds up, the user needs to take more heroin to get a similar effect.