Taking just 1 large dose of a prescription drug opioid could cause serious breathing problems that lead to death.
With regular heroin use, tolerance to the drug develops. Once this happens, the abuser must use more heroin to achieve the same intensity. As higher doses of the drug are used over time, physical dependence and addiction to the drug develop.
Source: Drug Enforcement Administration. Drugs of Abuse, 2017 Edition: A DEA Resource Guide. Accessed June 28, 2017. View here.
Major withdrawal symptoms peak between 24–48 hours after the last dose of heroin and subside after about a week. However, some people have shown persistent withdrawal signs for many months.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Heroin Research Report Series. View here.
Because heroin abusers do not know the actual strength of the drug or its true contents, they are at a high risk of overdose or death.
Many people die from pain medicine overdoses. In fact, more people overdose from pain medicines every year than from heroin and cocaine combined.
View source here.
