Approximately 156,000 Americans used heroin for the first time in 2012, and in the same year, close to half a million people received treatment for their addiction. But while the prevalence of this drug is real, a heroin user might be difficult to spot. Although side effects are ever-present in a person, they are easy symptoms to cover up. Collapsed veins, for example, can be covered up with clothing, and vomiting can be excused as sickness or fever that is unrelated to heroin use.
Normally, an addict will almost always seem sleepy, and when they’re not using, they will seem irritable and anxious. If these polar opposite behavioral traits are present in somebody for a longer period, it might be time to investigate.
Before we move on, if you think someone is overdosing on heroin, call 911 immediately and seek emergency medical assistance. Intervention will be required within minutes in order to reduce the risk of fatality.