Heroin Facts & Figures

Heroin is a highly addictive drug and is the most widely abused and most rapidly acting of the opiates. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants.
Pure heroin, which is a white powder with a bitter taste, is rarely sold on the streets. Most illicit heroin is a powder varying in color from white to dark brown. The differences in color are due to impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. Another form of heroin, "black tar" heroin, is primarily available in the western and southwestern U.S. This heroin, which is produced in Mexico, may be sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal, with its color varying from dark brown to black.
Heroin can be injected, smoked, or sniffed/snorted. Injection is the most efficient way to administer low-purity heroin. The availability of high-purity heroin, however, and the fear of infection by sharing needles has made snorting and smoking the drug more common. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) researchers have confirmed that all forms of heroin administration are addictive.
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Not In My House

Every day, 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time. They're accessing these drugs in the comfort of home; it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer, or medicine cabinet. The good news - there are steps you can take to help protect your kids from prescription drug abuse: monitor, secure and dispose. This site, created by Abbott and The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, shows you how.

It is strongly recommended that you watch the 'What The Experts Say' video on this site. Not only does it tell a powerful story, it is extremely instructive in pointing our ways to deal with issues and the steps of where and how to get help.

Does your "don't do drugs" talk include the ones in the
medicine cabinet? Gary and Jordan Neal, a family who lost a son to teen prescription drug abuse, nationally-renown addiction specialist Dr. Kathleen Brady, noted teen psychologist Dr. Anthony Wolf and founding member of Partnership for a Drug-Free America Tom Hedrick explain the many facets of this problem and what parents can do to help protect their children.