What is heroin?
Q: What is heroin?
A: Heroin is a drug that is also known as Diacetylmorphine or Diamorphine. It is an opioid, which means it acts like morphine in the body and it is a semi-synthetic opioid, meaning it is made from an opiate that occurs in nature (morphine). It usually appears as a white or brown powder made from the sap of the poppy plant and it has painkilling effects.
Q: How does heroin make people feel?
A: People smoke or inject heroin to get a calm feeling of relaxation, which is often referred to as "being high". The extreme happiness associated with this feeling is known as euphoria.
Q: Is heroin addictive?
A: Yes, heroin can be very addictive. Once someone starts taking heroin they may want to take more and more even when they know it could be making them sick and harming them.
Q: Is heroin legal?
A: In many countries, heroin is illegal unless it's used for medical purposes. However, there are some countries where drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and heroin have been decriminalized. To date these include somewhere between 25 and 30 countries.
Q: What other drugs come from poppy plant sap?
A: Other drugs that come from poppy plant sap include opium and morphine.
Q: What type of drug is Heroin?
A: Heroin is an opioid - a type of drug which acts like morphine in the body - and it's a semi-synthetic opioid because it's made from an opiate that occurs in nature (morphine).
Q: Was Heroin originally a trade name?
A Yes, Heroin was originally a trade name before becoming widely known as the drug we know today.
