Black Tar Heroin: Understand This Dangerous Variant

Heroin comes in several different forms that vary in color and texture. White powder heroin is the most widely known type, while brown powder and China white are also common forms found across America. But there’s another type that looks nothing like these powders: black tar heroin.

This substance is increasingly more common, creating new challenges for people dealing with heroin addiction. Let’s learn more about what it is and its dangers.

What Is Black Tar Heroin?

Black tar heroin is made from the same plant as regular heroin, the opium poppy plant. But this variant is processed differently, often made using shortcuts that leave many impurities. These shortcuts make it cheaper and faster to produce than white powder heroin.

These impurities can include leftover processing chemicals, unconverted morphine, plant residues, and sometimes cross-contamination or intentional additions of other drugs. This potent mix gives black tar its color and texture, while making each batch dangerously unpredictable in strength and effects.

What Does Black Tar Heroin Look Like?

Black tar heroin ranges from soft and sticky (when fresh) to hard and brittle (when older and exposed to air). The color varies from deep black to reddish-brown, depending on what impurities it contains. It often has a strong vinegar smell, much stronger than powder heroin.

What Are the Laws for Black Tar Heroin?

All heroin is illegal in the United States. As a Schedule I controlled drug, it has no defined medical use, has a high risk of abuse, and lacks safety for use, even under supervision. Selling or having black tar heroin leads to serious legal trouble, including prison time and fines. In states where it’s more common, police might face more drug-related crimes, and hospitals may report more overdoses and infections from dirty needles.

Black Heroin vs. Regular Heroin

While this version of the drug is generally less pure than powder heroin, it can be more dangerous because some batches contain potent additives like fentanyl, which greatly increase the risk of overdose. Black tar heroin mainly comes from Mexico, so it shows up mostly in places like California, Arizona, and Texas, which are closer geographically. White heroin is usually found more on the East Coast, as it often originates from South America or Southeast Asia, due to supplier networks.

Why Is Black Tar Heroin More Dangerous?

Black tar is extra risky because:

• It’s sticky and dirty, so it damages the veins worse
• It causes more skin infections and abscesses
• You can’t tell how strong each batch is
• The impurities can cause unique health problems
• Its low cost and high availability can lead to more frequent use, which increases addiction risk

Common Tar Heroin Use Methods

People use black tar heroin in several ways. Most users inject it after melting the sticky substance with water and sometimes adding lemon juice to help it dissolve better. This method damages veins worse than regular heroin because of the tar’s thick, dirty nature.

Others smoke it by heating the tar on aluminum foil and breathing in the rising smoke. Some even try to snort it, though this is less common because of its sticky texture. To snort it, users typically mix it with water first to make a solution that can go up the nose.

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects

This form of heroin has devastating effects like the main drug, which include:

Short-Term Effects (From the Drug Itself)

• Quick, intense high feeling
• Warm skin
• Heavy-feeling arms and legs
• Throwing up or nausea
• Bad itching
• Confused thinking
• Slowed breathing

Long-Term Effects

• Tolerance and dependence
• Damaged liver and kidneys
• Increased risk of overdose
• Higher chance of getting HIV or hepatitis (due to risky behaviors)

From Injection and Impurities

• Collapsed veins
• Skin infections and abscesses
• Bacterial infections in the heart
• Wound infections, including necrotizing fasciitis (“flesh-eating” disease)
• Wound botulism (a rare but potentially deadly infection)
• Lockjaw, especially with unclean needles

Finding Hope for a Future Free of Heroin Addiction

Black tar heroin can be life-ruining, like any other drug. It might appear different from regular heroin, but it causes the same addiction with added health problems. Thankfully, recovery is possible. Heroin addiction treatment works best when it includes:

• Medical help to get through withdrawal
• Therapy to learn new coping skills
• Support from others in recovery
• Sometimes, medicines that reduce cravings

If you or someone you know uses heroin or the black tar form of it, reaching out for professional help is the first step toward getting better.