Mixing other drugs with heroin can also cause other physical and mental problems. Anyone can develop a 'tolerance' to heroin or other drugs. Dependence' on heroin means that it takes up a lot of your thoughts, emotions and activities. You spend a lot of time thinking about using heroin, looking for heroin, using it and getting over the effects of using it. You also find it difficult to stop using or control how much you use.
Dependence can lead to a variety of health, money, legal, work and relationship problems.
Not all people who ever use heroin become dependent. Dependence happens gradually with ongoing use. These can begin to occur only a few hours after last using heroin. If you are convicted on a drug charge you then have a criminal record. This can cause many other problems such as trouble getting a job, a credit card, or a visa to travel overseas.