MODEL RELEASED. Heroin addiction. Conceptual image of the suffering caused by heroin addiction, showing a man injecting himself with heroin and the face of his distraught mother. Heroin is used as an illegal recreational drug as it produces a feeling of extreme relaxation and warmth. Addicts who share needles are at greater risk of infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the cause of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), and some forms of hepatitis. Overdoses can be fatal, and giving up the drug is difficult due to the unpleasant side-effects during withdrawal.