ok, it may be addictive, but physically it's not very bad for you. additionally, most of the more unpleasant physical effects of longterm usage result from the injecting of heroin, not from the drug itself. around these parts, it's not uncommon for people to smoke it. Also, heroin addiction is chemically very similiar to an addiction to painkillers. Keep that in mind, a heroin user is not always an IV drug user.