In its purest form, heroin is a white powder which comes from the opium poppy, but because it’s cut with other substances, it is usually bought as a brownish/grey powder. It is called things like smack, kit, brown, scag, junk and ‘H’.

People say that heroin makes them feel a strong sense of well-being and very relaxed, but is highly addictive so before long they need more heroin to feel the same way.

People who use heroin may not know how strong the heroin is by looking at it. If it is too strong or they use too much then they are putting themselves at risk, slowing down their breathing, heart rate, blood pressure so much that they are at risk of becoming unconscious.

People who are dependent on heroin may have withdrawal symptoms including fever, cramps and sleep problems when not using heroin.

Injecting drugs puts people at risk of diseases, especially if they share injecting equipment. Injecting can also cause damage to veins and tissues.

Heroin is a Class A drug.