Heroin

The routes of heroin through the body

Heroin is manufactured from morphine. Morphine is manufactured from opium. Opium is a dried form of a juice extracted from the seed pods of the poppy plant.

Heroin penetrates the blood-brain barrier faster than morphine. After heroin enters the brain, it is converted back into morphine. Basically, then, it is morphine that produces the effects of heroin.

Heroin can be taken by injection (‘shooting up’), by snorting, by smoking or by inhaling the heated vapours (‘chasing the dragon’).

Click on one of the icons above to follow this route: sniffing, injecting or smoking.