Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Risk of Black Tar Heroin

The sank black tar heroin that is commonly seen west of the Mississippi is associated with a variety of unique health risks. Most of the unique risks of black tar heroin is related to the way adulterants in drug clog arteries and makes long-term intravenous heroin use difficult - leading to subcutaneous injections, and a host of other health risks.

Subcutaneous drug use is associated with a significantly increased risk of soft tissue infection. Some of these infections can be fatal.

Venous Sclerosis

The high amounts of impurities in the Mexican black tar heroin can cause vein harder and less.

Wound Botulism

Botulism is a very rare and very dangerous toxin paralytic illness caused by ingestion of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. With wound botulism, toxic bacteria infect an open wound. Black tar heroin is frequently contaminated with these bacteria, and injection of drugs can cause ulcers botulism. All forms of botulism is a very serious and often fatal disorder that requires immediate medical intervention.

Seventy percent of all cases of wound botulism in the United States occur in California, a statistic that experts attribute to the prevalence of black tar heroin use in the state. Overall, cases of botulism in the United States is increasing, because of what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) called"an epidemic of Mexican black tar heroin abuse in California. "

Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)

A very dangerous deep tissue infection that can lead to limb amputations and even death, necrotizing fasciitis is seen far more common among black tar heroin users than in the general population. The most frequent cause of the disease with black tar heroin users is the bacterium Clostridium Sordellii.

Untreated necrotizing fasciitis is fatal in almost 75 percent of cases.

Tetanus

Because black tar heroin users have trouble injecting the drug into their veins, many injected subcutaneously in the skin or muscles. The anaerobic environment of a subcutaneous wound presents the perfect environment for the growth of Clostridium infections such as tetanus.

Tissue Necrosis (Tissue Death)

Subcutaneous injection (skin popping) can lead to localized tissue death.

Lower risk of HIV

Injection drug users of black tar heroin is a lower risk of HIV infection than other IV drug users - and IV drug users in cities with high rates of black tar heroin use shows lower overall HIV rates than do IV drugs in cities where powder heroin use dominates.

The high heat that is needed to prepare the drug for injection reduces the risk of sharing drug paraphernalia, and since the drug blocks up to syringes, the syringes, if shared, tend to be better cleaned first, reducing the risks associated with needle sharing .

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Black Tar Heroin is a big Evil

Treatment of black tar heroin is a big problem, before it will be tragedy for the family or friends, is vitally important. Addiction is very devastating, for the subject and for those around them.

Below are specific details of black tar heroin:

Black tar heroin is mainly produced in Mexico and it is the dominant form of heroin in the western United States. In the Eastern United States, South America-produced"white"(actually beige to white) powder heroin is the most common.

Black tar heroin may Sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal. Color can vary from dark brown to black.

Lit and consistent with black tar heroin result from the crude processing methods used to illicitly manufacture heroin in Mexico.

For more information about black tar heroin follow the links below:

•How it is sold
•How it is taken
•Heroin-related products
•Where it comes from / What it is
HOW IT IS SOLD

Black tar heroin is often sold on the street in its tar and state of cleanliness between 20-80 percent.

Commonly black tar heroin sold in small foil or cellophane packages or in small toy balloons.

HOW IT TAKE

Black tar heroin is typically dissolved, diluted, and then injected. It is also smoked.

Black tar heroin addicts put a small amount of black tar heroin in a spoon. The spoon they use is bent so that it sits level without corruption is placed on the table. They add a small amount of water and it is heated over the flame. When black tar heroin has melted, it is drawn into a syringe and injected. These medications pose special problems because the transmission of HIV and other diseases that can occur from sharing needles or other injection equipment.

Heroin utensils

Paraphernalia for injecting black tar heroin includes hypodermic needles, small cotton ball (used to strain the drug), water, and spoon or bottle Caps used"cooking"or liquefying the heroin. The hair of black tar usually lasts from four to six hours.

WHERE comes from / AS IT IS TO

Southern California, primarily in Los Angeles, is a major transportation and distribution center for Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin. Black tar heroin is also sometimes found in Western Canada, however, Southeast Asian heroin is the most dominant form there.

Almost all the heroin produced in Mexico may in the western United States.

Mexico-based heroin still dominating the market in the western part of the United States. Evidence suggests that trafficking organizations from Mexico are trying to produce higher purity heroin. Mexican heroin distribution networks in the United States is controlled almost exclusively with criminal organizations from Mexico and Mexican-American criminal Gangs are in charge of street-level distribution of heroin.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Black Tar Heroin Injection Can Cause HIV

UCSF scientists have found that the use of black tar heroin injection drug users in the West Coast city accounts for significantly lower percentage of injecting drug users in these places who are infected with HIV. Findings based on a comparison with the east coast cities, where powder heroin is commonly used.
"At the beginning of 1990, about 40 percent of injecting drug users in New York City were HIV-infected, while only about four percent of injecting drug users in Los Angeles were infected with HIV. Nevertheless, in both cities, about 25 percent of gay men were HIV - infection. The solution to this conflict can be found in the distribution and use of black tar heroin and is due to its unique chemical properties,"said the study's lead author, Daniel H. Ciccarone, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor UCSF department of family and community medicine and anthropology, history and social medicine.

A study published in December 2003 issue of the substance use & abuse examined data from the Anti-Drugs Agency (DEA), the predominant types of heroin used in 20 U.S. cities, 1990 - 1993. These data were compared with estimates published in the journal American Journal of Public Health in 1996, two percent of injecting drug users and homosexuals infected with HIV in the same city during the same timeframe.

In towns west of the Mississippi, black tar heroin - dark, rubber, resinous substance from Mexico - is mainly a type of heroin available. On the east coast of the USA, white and light brown powder heroin from South Asia and South America, is mainly a type available. Study results showed that the proportion of injecting drug users infected with HIV significantly lower in the cities where the use of black tar heroin predominated compared to cities where powder heroin use predominated, a pattern which was reflected in the percentage of HIV-infected homosexual men.

Using ethnographic, clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data, researchers found that black tar drug use could lead to a reduction in HIV transmission. Firstly, before applying black tar heroin must be heated to about 165 ° F, according to research done elsewhere. This temperature is sufficient for killing the HIV virus, which reduces the likelihood of HIV transmission through sharing of equipment preparation, according to UCSF researchers.

In addition, black tar heroin clogs syringes that note. Frequent rinsing and flushing is necessary, reducing the amount of residual blood and HIV.

"In California, injectors are constantly complaining that their needles clog. They almost always rinse their syringes immediately after the shooting in order to keep them from interference. The reasons shooting camps and shooting walls are wet from the water, which squirt through their used needles. This not the case in New York, where the white powder heroin is'glue together'needles. Laboratory studies have shown that rinsing syringes Massive clean water works well with HIV,"said study's co-author, Philippe Bourgois, PhD, UCSF Professor and Chairman Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine.

Moreover, using rubber black tar heroin ruins syringes, leading to increased turnover of syringes."Black tar injectors rarely report using a single syringe more than five times, while users of heroin powder, says many others from their use of syringes,"said Ciccarone.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

What is Black Tar heroin?

Black tar heroin is mainly produced in Mexico. Black tar heroin may be sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal. Color can vary from dark brown to black. The color and consistency of black tar heroin result from the crude processing methods used in the illicit manufacture of heroin in Mexico. Black tar heroin is often sold on the street in the tar-like state in purity from 20 to 80 percent. Usually, the black tar heroin sold in small foil or cellophane packets or in small toy balloons. For the development of customers quickly, traders can specifically target methadone clinic. These clinics, where heroin drug addicts receiving methadone, which blocks their need for heroin. These individuals become easy prey for the seller and often become regular clients. The potency of street heroin is rarely known and overdose often results.

Black tar heroin is usually dissolved, diluted and then injected. Black tar heroin addicts place small amounts of black tar heroin in a spoon. Spoon, using them is bent, so sit level without spilling when placed in the table. Then they add a little water and is heated over a flame. When black tar heroin has melted it is drawn up into the syringe and injected. This method of administration poses special difficulties because of the transfer HIV and other diseases that may arise from sharing needles or other injection equipment. Paraphernalia for injecting black tar heroin include hypodermic needles, small cotton balls (for the strain of drug), water and spoons or bottle ceiling used to"cook"or liquefying the heroin. High tar usually lasts from four to six hours.
Southern California, especially Los Angeles, is a major transport and distribution hub for Mexican black tar heroin and brown powder heroin. Black tar is intended for drug markets in California and across the U.S.. Almost all of the heroin produced in Mexico are destined for distribution in the U.S.. Mexico-based heroin continues to dominate the market, in the western United States. Evidence suggests that trafficking organizations from Mexico, have tried to produce higher purity heroin. Mexican heroin distribution networks in the United States are managed almost entirely by criminal organizations operating from Mexico and Mexican-American criminal gangs who are responsible for street level distribution of heroin. In the past, couriers typically smuggled only small quantities of heroin across the US-Mexico border. Now heroin is smuggled in large quantities, as marked by the seizure of larger shipments.