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 .