Heroin is responsible for the majority of fatal overdoses in the U.S. The drug comes in a powder form, and it can be white, brown, black, or grey. It is a highly addictive substance, and as rates of prescription opioid addiction have risen, so too have addiction rates to heroin. Three-fourths of all people who become addicted to heroin started down the path of opiate addiction with a legal, prescription painkiller. Legal, prescription opioid-derivative drugs are easier to obtain than illicit heroin. But when a dependent person’s supplies of a prescription opioid run out, they are at risk of turning to heroin to feed their addiction and prevent withdrawal symptoms from manifesting.

The most well-known way that a person takes heroin is by injecting the substance. But most people who start taking heroin do not go straight to injecting the substance. In many cases, people will either snort the drug or smoke the drug first.

Heroin is purchased in a powder form, and the powder can come in many different colors and shades. It can be all too easy for a person to mistake white cocaine and white heroin with each other, increasing the risk of a fatal overdose.

In its purest form, heroin powder will dissolve quickly in water, making it easy to inject with a needle. But in most cases, the drug is cut with other substances, including the following:

Drug dealers will cut heroin with these other substances to increase the volume of the drug and make a higher profit. People who purchase heroin will find that mixed batches of the drug are less expensive, too. But unfortunately, smoking, injecting, or snorting adulterated heroin can cause severe health issues. Taking adulterated heroin, depending on the composition, can also mask the signs of an overdose.

Pure heroin will dissolve very quickly, no matter how it is taken. But these added ingredients are coarser, larger, and won’t disintegrate like heroin powder. These substances can become lodged in a person’s soft tissues, veins, arteries, and organs. Once they become lodged, they can kill off tissues and cells.

What are the risks involved when a person smokes heroin?

Smoking heroin will cause many side effects and health problems. Smoking any drug increases the risk of lung infections, but this risk is increased with heroin. Heroin will slow a person’s respiratory rate, which puts them at risk of lung infections and pneumonia. When someone smokes heroin, this risk is amplified. Smoking any substance also increases the risk of contracting lung cancer.