Heroin Addiction Help

Heroin is a highly addictive drug, and Heroin Addiction is a serious problem in America. Recent studies suggest a shift from injecting heroin to snorting or smoking because of increased purity and the misconception that these forms of use will not lead to addiction. Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seedpod of the Asian poppy plant. Heroin usually appears as a white or brown powder. Injection continues to be the predominant method of heroin use among addicted users seeking treatment; however, researchers have observed a shift in use patterns, from injection to sniffing and smoking.


Employee Drug Testing Rising

Employee drug tests are on the rise and it's the companies that make up the rules regarding the types of testing related to pre-employment, random, and drug testing with reason or suspicion of use on the job.


Employers can test future and present employees for an unlimited number of substances including, but not limited to, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines or methamphetamines, opiates, and PCP.


Expanded screening panels can also be requested that test for barbiturates (Phenobarbital), hydrocodone or propoxyphene (Vicodin or Darvon), Quaaludes, benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium), methadone, alcohol, or MDMA (Ecstasy). Pre-employment drug testing is required by many companies, and continues to be very controversial for including an individual's right to privacy.


There are primarily five different types of drug tests that are commonly administered. Urine testing is the most common method used because it is the least expensive, and can detect use within one week. Blood testing is the most expensive method, but it is the most accurate and least common. Hair can be tested to detect substance use over a long period of time, but it cannot detect use within the past week. It is several times more expensive than testing urine and is not as common.


Saliva testing can detect more recent use and it is easy to administer, but still more expensive than urine testing. Testing sweat is another method of drug testing, but is relatively uncommon and the accuracy is controversial due to many false positive results. Detection periods for all substances depends on the amount, frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, and drug tolerance.

Heroin Abuse Help

Heroin Opiates Prescription Medication
  about heroin addiction

Injection continues to be the predominant method of heroin use among addicted users seeking treatment; however, researchers have observed a shift in heroin use patterns, from injection to sniffing and smoking. In fact, sniffing/snorting heroin is now the most widely reported means of taking heroin among users admitted for drug treatment in Newark, Chicago, and New York. more..

Heroin Use Rehab

Heroin Addiction Treatment
  stop using drugs

A variety of effective treatments are available for heroin addiction. Treatment tends to be more effective when heroin abuse is identified early. The treatments that follow vary depending on the individual, but methadone, a synthetic opiate that blocks the effects of heroin and eliminates withdrawal symptoms, has a proven record of success for people addicted to heroin. more..

What is Methadone?

Addiction Maintenance & Detox
  heroin dangers

Methadone is a narcotic pain reliever, similar to morphine. Methadone reduces withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to heroin without causing the "high" associated with the drug addiction. Methadone is used as a pain reliever and as part of drug addiction detoxification and maintenance programs. Methadone can be used as part of a treatment program for narcotic addiction and detox. more

Heroin - Growing in Addicts
With the shift in abuse patterns comes an even more diverse group of users. Older users (over 30) continue to be one of the largest user groups in most national data. However, the increase continues in new, young users across the country who are being lured by inexpensive, high purity heroin that can be sniffed or smoked instead of injected. Heroin has also been appearing in more affluent communities.
Heroin Health Consequences
Heroin abuse is associated with serious health conditions, including fatal overdose, spontaneous abortion, collapsed veins, and, particularly in users who inject the drug, infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. The short-term effects of heroin abuse appear soon after a single dose and disappear in a few hours. Chronic users may develop collapsed veins, infection of the heart lining and valves, abscesses, cellulitis, and liver disease.
Highly Addictive
After an injection of heroin, the user reports feeling a surge of euphoria ("rush") accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, a dry mouth, and heavy extremities. Following this initial euphoria, the user goes "on the nod," an alternately wakeful and drowsy state. Mental functioning becomes clouded due to the depression of the central nervous system. Long-term effects of heroin appear after repeated use for some period of time.
Continual Heroin Use
Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health condition of the abuser, as well as from heroin's depressing effects on respiration. Because significant respiratory issues develop quickly with continued use, overdose is all too common.
Common Terms
The common terms associcated with heroine are Opiates Methadone Suboxone Subutex Morphine Buprenorphine, Morphine Diacetat, H, Luminal, Luminal pill, M, Mickey Finn, Nembutal, Nembutal pill, quietener, scag, secobarbital sodium, sedative, soother, soothing syrup, soporific, tar, turps, yellow, yellow jacket
Heroin Withdrawal
The withdrawal syndrome from heroin use can begin within 7 to 24 hours of stopping us of the drug. This time frame can fluctuate with the degree of tolerance as well as the amount you typically consume. Symptoms may include: sweating, anxiety, depression, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps.

Where do calls go?

Calls to numbers on a specific treatment center listing will be routed to that treatment center. Additional calls will also be forwarded and returned by one of our treatment partners below.

Calls to any general helpline (non-facility specific 1-8XX numbers) for your visit will be answered by ARK Behavioral Health, a paid advertiser on 800Heroin.com.

All calls are private and confidential.