

Heroin can also cause itching and flushing of the skin. These effects can include nausea, clouded mental functioning and respiratory depression. When smoked, heroin produces many of the same effects people feel when injecting, sniffing or snorting heroin. Because heroin inhalation sedates the central nervous system, individuals often experience drowsiness for several hours after the euphoric effects fade. This can lead to a feeling of heaviness and distance from one’s surroundings. When the rush ends, heart rate decreases and breathing slows. During the next two to five minutes, people experience an adrenaline rush. The Center for Substance Abuse Research states that the effects of heroin are felt within 10 to 15 minutes of inhalation. Heroin can also be smoked with a water pipe, according to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. This method is also known as “chasing the dragon.” The slang phrase originated in China and referred to inhaling vapor from a heated opioid solution. People often smoke heroin by heating the drug on aluminum foil above a flame and then inhaling the smoke through a glass tube, straw or rolled up dollar bill. Although smoking the drug has a lower risk of overdose and viral infections than injecting it, any form of heroin use can cause serious health problems, including heroin addiction. Some heroin users smoke the drug because they want to avoid the social stigma associated with intravenous drug use, while others smoke it because they believe it is a safe alternative to injecting. However, an increasing number of people have engaged in other methods of heroin administration, including inhaling heroin vapor. Most people inject or shoot heroin intravenously to achieve an immediate and potent high.
