“According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), approximately 3.5 million Americans aged 12 and older reported having tried heroin at least once time in their life. The average drug addict spends between $150 and $200 a day to maintain their heroin addiction.” Heroin is an addictive opiate drug made from a white crystalline powder derived from morphine. Heroin was first synthesized in 1874, it is a powerful drug derived from the pods of poppy plants. It is used as a pain reliever and as a recreational drug. It is a calming or depressant effect that affects the pleasure systems of the brain and interferes with the brain's ability to perceive pain and provides deep relaxation and intense euphoria. Heroin can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the user's preference and body purity. drug. Heroin can be injected into a "mainlining" vein, injected into a muscle, smoked in a water pipe or standard pipe, mixed into a marijuana joint or regular cigarette, inhaled as smoke through a straw, known like "chasing the dragon", snorted like dust through the nose. As with most drugs, the most obvious sign of heroin addiction is repeated cravings for the drug, usually in larger quantities. The most obvious sign of heroin use is "tracks," which are areas of the skin where blood vessels have been damaged by the infection. Users will try to use the smallest needle possible, but heroin will damage the veins and capillaries regardless of the method used. Eventually these veins will collapse and the skin will develop scar tissue. Other symptoms include: constricted pupils, respiratory depression, constipation and confusion. When using heroin, the euphoria is usually accompanied by a warm flush of the skin, dry mouth, and feeling... middle of paper... body and brain. Unfortunately on illegal drugs like heroin there is no place for a warning label. Works Cited Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S., & Wilson, W. (2003). Buzzed: the truth about the most used and abused drugs, from alcohol to ecstasy (2nd ed.). New York: WW Norton.Millennium Web Catalog. (n.d.). Millennium Web Catalog. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://0-www.psychiatryonline.com.ksclib.keene.edu/content.aspx?aID=1724#1724Millennium Web Catalog. (n.d.). Millennium Web Catalog. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://0-www.psychiatryonline.com.ksclib.keene.edu/content.aspx?aID=1705#1705 Nutritional Effects of Marijuana, Heroin, Cocaine,... [ J Am Diet Assoc . 1990] - PubMed Result.(nd). National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2204648