Black tar heroin is a popular form of the illicit substance that is usually found west of the Mississippi River. Typically produced by Mexican drug cartels, black tar heroin is a less pure form of heroin that is just as potent.
Just as it sounds, black tar heroin is a cruder form of the illicit opioid that is black and sticky in appearance and texture. Also popularly referred to as Mexican black tar heroin due to it being a major export for Mexican cartels, the drug is mostly found west of the Mississippi River in the US and Canada.
Many hear that black tar heroin isn’t as pure and think that it isn’t as potent as its white, powder form; however, it is just as strong. This misconception can easily lead to people overdosing, thinking that they need more to get the same high. Because of its crude form, the sticky tar cannot be used intravenously unless it is diluted into a liquid (typically done by heating it with a spoon). People who have black tar heroin will also smoke it, often on tin foil, or ingest it another way.
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All heroin carries the same effects. It is commonly believed that black tar heroin is less pure than other forms of the drug, but that is largely a misconception. While there is a widespread belief that white heroin is purer, it is very often cut with other powders to keep the cost down. Black tar heroin is typically around 30% pure due to the faster, cruder process that the heroin goes through; the purity can vary tremendously, however. While the process used to create black tar heroin makes it cheaper to produce and to buy, it also often makes the heroin less pure and more dangerous. General effects of heroin, no matter the color, are the same. They include:
Anyone who uses black tar heroin will feel these effects from the first time they use it. Unfortunately, these are also the desired effects that make the drug so addictive. While both long and short-term black tar heroin users are equally likely to experience an overdose, the longer someone uses heroin the more likely they are to develop other disorders and diseases. Long-term effects of heroin use include: