Opioids are a group of drugs that can reduce pain (Source: Cleveland Clinic). They can also make someone feel euphoric or "high" (Source: Cleveland Clinic). Some opioids are legal to use; others are not. Heroin is a specific opioid. It's not legal to use or sell in the United States (Source: Nemours KidsHealth).
Opioids can be dangerous and even lethal because they can affect your ability to breathe. The United States is experiencing an increasingly large number of deaths related to prescription opioids (Source: Statistical Health Access Data Assistance Center). You may hear this referred to as the opioid epidemic. (Source: Statistical Health Access Data Assistance Center).
The following resources can help you learn more about heroin and other opioids.
Light up the Night: America's Overdose Crisis and the Drug Users Fighting for Survival
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OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose
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Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis
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Syringe Exchange Programs and the Opioid Epidemic: Government and Nonprofit Practices and Policies
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