Heroin is a drug substance made from opium. The main intention for its manufacturing was to be a substance used for pain relief and as a cough suppressant for children. However, as discoveries in medicine were made, addictive qualities in Heroin were discovered that resulted in the drug being declared illegal.
In its purest form, Heroin is odorless, making it difficult to detect its smell. Moreover, depending on its processing, Heroin may come off as sour with an acidic smell. Also, there are different forms of Heroin, and each one of them comes off with a different scent.
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Forms of Heroin
Heroin in its purest form is extremely expensive. However, different forms of it have been discovered. Such include Powdered Heroin, Street heroin, and Liquid heroin, but the most common one is Black Tar heroin which is mostly found on the streets.
Heroin users are difficult to identify, but sudden physical changes such as restlessness and mental impairments can help in identification. Moreover, in order to know if a loved one is addicted to heroin, understanding the characteristics of the drug in usage is important. Below are some characteristics of how Heroin smells in different forms.
What Heroin Smell Like
1. Powdered Heroin
Powdered heroin can either be brown or white. Heroin in a powdered form has a strong vinegar scent. Brown powdered heroin is less processed than white powdered heroin. Therefore, this nature causes it to have a stronger vinegar smell. Since white powder undergoes most processing, its smell is almost odorless, making it difficult to identify it.
However, since this form is mixed with other chemical substances and drugs, it usually comes off smelling like cleaning products such as laundry detergents, powdered milk, or drugs such as fentanyl. Moreover, what heroin smells like in powdered heroin may come off as a urine or cat litter smell.
2. Black Tar Heroin
Black Tar heroin is considered the most unsafe and illegal form of heroin. Different additives and impurities are mixed with it to prolong its addictive effects. In addition, it’s black due to the many impurities used during processing and appears as gummy or sticky.
What Heroin Smells Like in Black Tar Heroin is usually a burnt coffee and strong acid smell. Also, it may come off smelling like quinine, burnt plastic, or paint, and this smell is mostly found in users who like snorting.
3. Liquid Heroin
What Heroin smells like in liquid heroin is a mixture of rubbing alcohol and vinegar together. Moreover, because of its strong scent, many users pour it on clothes to be close to it and get extra high.
Conclusion
Since heroin may or may not have a smell, it’s difficult to identify it. Therefore, signs such as the presence of needles and syringes could be an indicator. Others include sleepiness and changes in physical and mental, restlessness, dry mouth, and opium withdrawal symptoms.
