What are the street names for it?

Smack, mud, dope, horse, junk, brown sugar, big H, black tar, gear smack, stuff, skag.

What type of drug is it?

Heroin is a "downer" that affects the brain's pleasure systems and interferes with the brain's ability to perceive pain. It is a highly addictive drug . Diacetylmorphine (C 21 H 23 NO 5 ) is the chemical name for street heroin. A narcotic derivative of the opium poppy plant, heroin falls into the class of drugs known as opiates. Opiates are derived from the dried "milk" of the opium poppy, which contains morphine and codeine, both of which are effective painkillers and are used in many prescription medicines.

What does it look like?

Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste. Most heroin is distributed in powder form and may vary in color from white to dark brown due to the impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives and diluting agents. There is also a less-refined form of heroin known as "Black Tar", which is a gooey black or brownish substance.

What is its history?

Although Sumerian texts from 6,000 years ago refer to the opium poppy as the "joy" plant, heroin itself was not developed until 1874 and was originally marketed as a safe, non-addictive substitute for morphine. However, it too was soon found to produce a severe dependency very quickly.

How is it used?

Heroin is used in a number of ways: Injected into a vein ("mainlining"), injected into a muscle, smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe, mixed in a marijuana joint or regular cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw ( known as "chasing the dragon"), snorted as powder via the nose.

What are the effects?

Heroin is, generally speaking, a sedative, and induces a euphoric, drowsy, warm and content feeling. They also relieve stress and discomfort by creating a relaxed detachment from pain, desires and activity. As well as killing pain, moderate doses of pure opiates produce a range of mild effects. They depress the activity of the nervous system, including such reflexes as coughing, breathing and heart rate. They also cause widening of the blood vessels, which gives a feeling of warmth and reduces bowel activity, causing constipation.
With doses high enough to produce euphoria, there is still little change in coordination. At higher doses though, sedation can be extreme and an overdose can result in unconsciousness, coma and often death from respiratory failure. The chance of an overdose is greatly increased if other depressant drugs such as alcohol or tranquilizers are being used at the same time.

What kind of dependence does it lead to?

Heroin is a highly addictive substance and can produce dependence within only a few days of regular use. Because mild withdrawal symptoms are similar to the flu, users often don't realize their "sickness" is actually withdrawal.

Physical Dependence:

extreme

Psychical Dependence:

extreme

Tolerance:

extreme

More:

Once addicted, the acute physical withdrawal is grueling and peaks between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose. The intense part of withdrawal lasts for 3-5 days, while protracted effects can last for months. During this time, symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, cramping, muscle and bone pain, cold flashes with goose bumps, kicking movements, and severe shaking. It can take months or even years to recover from the addiction, and fighting the psychical addiction is often a lifetime battle. During this extended withdrawal, recovering addicts battle cravings and depression.