MODEL RELEASED. Heroin addict. A heroin addict lies under a graffiti-covered wall next to a discarded syringe and spoon (used to dissolve the powdered drug before injecting). Heroin is a highly addictive narcotic that kills pain and induces stupor. Once hooked, users require ever- increasing doses to overcome tolerance and may be driven to crime to fund the habit. Injection is the preferred way of taking the drug as it produces the most intense effect, although it can lead to infection with hepatitis or AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) if needles are shared. Death by overdose is a common fate.