Key Takeaways
- Black tar heroin has a sticky, dark appearance due to crude processing methods that leave behind impurities.
- It is typically less pure than white powder heroin and often contains harmful substances.
- Common methods of abuse include injection, smoking, and inhaling.
- The presence of impurities in black tar heroin contributes to severe risks, including wound botulism, venous sclerosis, and accidental overdose.
- Long-term use of black tar heroin can lead to physical dependence, brain damage, and a heightened risk of fatal respiratory depression.
What Is Black Tar Heroin?
Black tar heroin has a distinctive dark, sticky appearance, resembling coal or roofing tar. It is a result of a crude processing method that leaves behind impurities and additives.
Unlike its white powder counterpart, black tar heroin is known for its lower purity levels. It is also often cut with harmful substances, increasing health risks for users.
How Is Black Tar Heroin Abused?
Black tar heroin can be abused in several ways, including:
- Injection (aka “mainlining”): Dissolved in water and injected directly into veins for an immediate high.
- Smoking (aka “chasing the dragon”): Heated on foil or other surfaces and inhaled as fumes.
- Dissolving and inhaling (aka “shabanging”): Vaporized in a pipe or similar apparatus and inhaled.
- Mixing with other substances – Combined with other drugs like cocaine or alcohol for enhanced effects.
These methods all pose significant health risks, including overdose and infection.
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Black Tar Heroin Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process of black tar heroin begins with morphine extracted from the opium poppy. The morphine is then synthesized into heroin through a chemical reaction involving various chemicals.
This process differs from the creation of white powder heroin, which typically results in a higher purity grade.
Chemical Profile of Black Tar Heroin
The chemical makeup of black tar heroin is complex due to the presence of various adulterants and fillers.
Its production involves a crude acetylation process that does not fully purify the heroin, resulting in a substance that may contain monoacetylmorphine, 6-monoacetylcodeine, and other potentially toxic contaminants.
The presence of these compounds contributes to the unique characteristics and increased risks associated with black tar heroin use.
Users of black tar heroin are at a heightened risk of venous sclerosis, a condition where veins narrow and harden, making injection difficult and dangerous.
How Impurities Make Black Tar Heroin Lethal
The presence of impurities significantly impacts the potency of black tar heroin and poses severe health risks to users.
One of the gravest concerns associated with the impurities in black tar heroin is the increased likelihood of developing abscesses and wound botulism, a serious infection caused by bacteria that can occur from injecting the substance.
Users often have no way of knowing the exact strength or purity of the heroin they are consuming, which can lead to accidental overdoses. This is especially true when black tar heroin is mixed with other potent opioids like fentanyl.
Effects and Risks of Black Tar Heroin Use
Black tar heroin has significant physical and psychological effects on users. The drug can be smoked, snorted, or injected, leading to various health issues.
- Short-term effects: They include a rush of euphoria, drowsiness and a warm flushing of the skin. However, these are accompanied by dangerous consequences such as dry mouth, heavy feeling in the extremities and slowed breathing, which can lead to coma or brain damage.
- Long-term effects: It causes severe health problems, including physical dependence, deterioration of the brain’s white matter, affecting decision-making and behavior regulation and leading to heroin use disorder. The risk of overdose is ever-present, with the potential for fatal respiratory depression.
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