Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid of the morphinan class derived from morphine, a natural product of the opium poppy. First synthesized by a British chemist in 1874 and later commercialized by Bayer in 1898, it is among the most notorious substances of abuse worldwide. Heroin is highly addictive and exists in forms ranging from white or brown powder to black tar, with street purity varying dramatically from as low as 5% to as high as 95%.
Heroin molecular structure diagram from the DrugsPRO substance library.
Also known as: H, Boy, Junk, Dope, Gear, Diacetylmorphin, Heroine, Diamorphine
Classification
Chemical: Morphinan
Chemical: Opioid
Psychoactive: Depressant
Tag: Common
Tag: Habit-Forming
Tag: Sedative
Tag: substituted morphinan
Effects
Pain Relief
Respiratory Depression
Itchiness
Cough Suppression
Difficulty Urinating
Nausea
Euphoria
Anxiety Suppression
Compulsive Redosing
Mood Lift
Cognitive Euphoria
Dizziness
Internal Hallucination
Dulled Perception
Increased Music Appreciation
Cognitive Dysphoria
Decreased Libido
Sound Amplification
Routes of Administration
Insufflated
Dosage
Heavy: 50-75 mg
Light: 5 – 20 mg
Common: 20 – 35 mg
Strong: 35 – 50 mg
Threshold: 5 mg
Duration
Onset: 0-0.02 h
Comeup: 0-0.02 h
Peak: 0-1.5 h
Offset: 1-3 h
After Effects: 1.5-3 h
Intravenous
Dosage
Heavy: 15 mg
Light: 1 – 5 mg
Common: 5 – 8 mg
Strong: 8 – 15 mg
Threshold: 1 mg
Duration
Onset: 0-0 h
Comeup: 0-0 h
Peak: 1-4 h
Offset: 0.5-1 h
Smoked
Dosage
Heavy: 30 – 50 mg
Light: 2 – 15 mg
Common: 15 – 25 mg
Strong: 25 – 50 mg
Threshold: 2 mg
Duration
Onset: 0-0 h
Comeup: 0-0 h
Peak: 0.25-0.5 h
Offset: 0.25-0.5 h
After Effects: 0.17-0.5 h
Oral
Dosage
Heavy: 30 mg
Light: 3 – 10 mg
Common: 10 – 20 mg
Strong: 20 – 30 mg
Threshold: 3 mg
Duration
Onset: 1-1.5 h
After Effects: 1-24 h
Harm Reduction
Check interactions before mixing substances, pay attention to dose spacing and hydration, and treat all dosage guidance as approximate rather than guaranteed safe.
Sources
Substance data is aggregated from the following public harm-reduction and reference sources.
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Heroin - DrugsPRO substance guide
Heroin: Heroin (diacetylmorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid of the morphinan class derived from morphine, a natural product of the opium poppy. First synthesized by a British chemist in 1874 and later commercialized by Bayer in 1898, it is among the most notorious substances of abuse worldwide. Her
