Compared to other drugs,  heroin is taken less for recreational and social reasons and more for self-medication.

Many people find heroin very unpleasant the first time they take it, and never take it again. 

The effects that heroin has on the nervous system can cause immediate vomiting, which, combined with the suppression of breathing and the cough reflex, increases the risk of choking. 

Heroin comes from the opium poppy flower. 

The drug is highly addictive and has been illegal in the United States since 1924.

Withdrawal symptoms will begin 6 to 12 hours after the last dose, peaking within 1 to 3 days, and gradually subsiding over 5 to 7 days.