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The term “spiking”, when not talking about sports, is one that most people are familiar with. It’s why you don’t leave a drink unattended at a bar or party. It’s also why the “punchbowl” at prom burned when you drank it. Adding things to drinks, such as alcohol or other substances, isn’t a new concept, but did you know that the same thing can happen to other substances as well?
You have a partner who you’ve had a sneaking suspicion might be partaking in illicit substances behind your back. They have some off nights and their behavior has changed a bit, but one night they come home acting particularly “off”. Unbeknownst to you, or them, their normal dose of heroin was cut with something else.
Here at Serenity Lane, we’ve heard stories like this before. In the world of illicit substances, a person can’t always know what else they might be ingesting. In the case of heroin, other substances could be laced or cut with it, leading to a potential for additional side effects, reactions, or even overdose. Knowing more about substances, their side effects, and what to look out for can help you learn about your body and better manage your health. With almost 24k people in Oregon reporting having used heroin within the past year, today we’re going to answer the question: what is heroin cut with?
Lacing and cutting are fairly similar; they both involve adding something to a substance. The biggest difference is that cutting usually means another substance is added to dilute the product or boost profit. It’s meant to benefit the dealer in the long run.
When something is laced into a substance, it usually more heavily or intentionally impacts the experience when taking the substance. This could include adding an additional substance to alter or “enhance” the high when taken.
When dealing with illicit substances like heroin, you can never know for sure exactly what’s inside of it. Since it is unregulated, there also isn’t an easy way to look up what exactly is in a substance you might purchase.
Dealers can use a variety of substances to cut heroin in order to boost profit and stretch out their supplies further. This can include common household items like flour or cornstarch, or non-edible items like chalk or talcum powder.
Both cutting and lacing could apply in the case of fentanyl. Fentanyl, like heroin, is an opioid. Unlike heroin, however, it is fully synthetic and incredibly potent. Due to its synthetic nature, it can cut back on costs for dealers if they cut heroin with it. On the other hand, its potency also increases and alters the experience people have when they partake in heroin.
This potency, however, can come with consequences.
Whenever substances are combined, whether through cutting or when taken at the same time, this is known as polysubstance use. Polysubstance use can even occur unintentionally when someone drinks alcohol while on a medication that has interactions with it. It occurs anytime you have more than one substance in your body and in effect at the same time.
Polysubstance use comes with its own dangers, however. Whether combining two different kinds of substances, like depressants and stimulants, or combining two of the same kind of substance, it can alter the side effects and experience a person has while on both or more of them. Let’s take a look at the two most common scenarios when it comes to heroin polysubstance use.
If someone is overdosing from heroin or polysubstance use, you will probably notice symptoms like disorientation, trembling, confusion, dilated pupils, slowed heart rate and breathing, unconsciousness, slurred speech, and even seizures. If you even have the slightest hunch that someone you know might be experiencing an overdose, don’t hesitate to call for medical assistance. Here in the state of Indiana, the Good Samaritan Law protects you from being persecuted for seeking help for an overdose. It may feel like you’re alone and that you will face potentially negative consequences because of an overdose, but there’s support out there that can help get you through it.
As we briefly touched on before, heroin is an opioid. It is normally made from morphine, which is derived from the seeds of poppy plants. While it’s not a prescription form of opioid, prescription opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin have been shown to have similar effects.
Heroin is strictly an illicit substance that can be consumed through injection, sniffing, snorting, or smoking it. Heroin commonly comes in three different forms. These forms are a white or brown powder form, or a black sticky form usually referred to as black tar heroin.
White powder heroin is usually considered to be the “purest” form of heroin and can sometimes be the most expensive option of the three as a result. Due to its white coloration, however, it can be easier to hide things like sugar, starch, flour, and other substances in it. Oftentimes this originates from Colombia and gets its color due to its growing conditions and water sources.
Brown powder heroin behaves just like its white counterpart but is usually considered to be “less pure” and can sometimes be sold for a cheaper price. Brown powder heroin usually comes from Colombia or Southwest Asia. It can be coarser than its white form.
Of the three, black tar heroin is the one that seems like the odd one out. It is primarily smoked or dissolved to be injectable. Black tar heroin can be solid in a more liquid, tar-like form or in more solid, sticky chunks. It is often found that black tar heroin is less “pure” than its powdered counterparts. It’s most commonly sourced from Mexico. Other than that, it still creates the same effects as other forms of heroin.
There’s normally more than simply one reason behind any substance use disorder, and heroin is no different. No matter how you came into it, there’s always a way out.
This is where treatment options can help. Recovering from a substance use disorder on your own makes it that much more challenging. We all deserve support systems when we’re going through our lives, but especially when we’re making such a big change.
Substance rehab facilities like Serenity Lane are meant to help you build a strong foundation for long-term recovery. We have worked with all walks of life, many forms of substance use, and more. Our heroin recovery program is here to help you with everything from medication-assisted treatment (MAT) plans to inpatient and outpatient options as well. MAT has been shown to boost the recovery rates of those who complete the program when trying to recover from an opioid addiction versus those who don’t complete an MAT program. It helps not only manage cravings and withdrawal but can help block future opioids from creating the same effects, thus helping prevent future relapse.
If you have any questions about our programs here at Serenity Lane, please feel free to reach out anytime at our phone number (800) 543-9905. Recovery is out there and we can work toward it together.
What Is The Difference Between Lacing And Cutting?
Cutting generally means adding another substance to a drug in order to reduce the cost of the product or dilute the product. Lacing is when another substance is added to alter or enhance the effects of the drug.
Why Is Heroin Cut?
Heroin might be cut with things like flour, corn starch, sugar, borax, or many other things in order to reduce the cost of producing it and to boost the profit for the dealers.
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