Most people inject or shoot heroin intravenously to achieve an immediate and potent high. However, an increasing number of people have engaged in other methods of heroin administration, including inhaling heroin vapor.
Some heroin users smoke the drug because they want to avoid the social stigma associated with intravenous drug use, while others smoke it because they believe it is a safe alternative to injecting. Although smoking the drug has a lower risk of overdose and viral infections than injecting it, any form of heroin use can cause serious health problems, including heroin addiction.
How Is Heroin Smoked?
People often smoke heroin by heating the drug on aluminum foil above a flame and then inhaling the smoke through a glass tube, straw or rolled up dollar bill.
This method is also known as “chasing the dragon.” The slang phrase originated in China and referred to inhaling vapor from a heated opioid solution. Heroin can also be smoked with a water pipe, according to the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
The Effects of Smoking Heroin
The Center for Substance Abuse Research states that the effects of heroin are felt within 10 to 15 minutes of inhalation. During the next two to five minutes, people experience an adrenaline rush.
When the rush ends, heart rate decreases and breathing slows. This can lead to a feeling of heaviness and distance from one’s surroundings. Because heroin inhalation sedates the central nervous system, individuals often experience drowsiness for several hours after the euphoric effects fade.
Dangers of Smoking Heroin
When smoked, heroin produces many of the same effects people feel when injecting, sniffing or snorting heroin. These effects can include nausea, clouded mental functioning and respiratory depression. Heroin can also cause itching and flushing of the skin.
People don’t become addicted to heroin the first time they try it, but repeated use can lead to addiction.
Inhaling heroin can cause a set of health problems different from those caused by other methods of administration. Smoking the drug puts significant strain on the lungs.
- Labored breathing (Dyspnea)
- Deterioration of the central nervous system (leukoencephalopathy)
- Reduced lung function
- Repeated asthma attacks without pause (status asthmaticus)
Viral infections such as hepatitis and HIV are also an outcome of smoking heroin, though the risk of developing these diseases is more common among intravenous heroin users.
Black tar heroin is a rock-like form of the drug that can be smoked, although it is more commonly injected. Smoking black tar heroin can cause drowsiness, respiratory depression and and other signs of heroin use.
Can You Overdose from Smoking Heroin?
The risk of accidental overdose is much lower when smoking heroin than when injecting the drug. But overdose can still occur after inhaling heroin because the drug suppresses breathing. If left untreated, heroin overdose can lead to death.
- Clammy skin
- Pinpoint pupils
- Shallow breathing
- Convulsions
- Coma
Smoking heroin has contributed to the opioid epidemic, a public health crisis responsible for numerous overdoses and treatment admissions across the United States. In King County, Washington, half of people aged 18 to 29 who sought treatment for heroin problems in 2015 reported smoking the drug.
People addicted to heroin can experience heroin withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, anxiety and sleep problems. To safely overcome these side effects and start recovery from addiction, individuals with a heroin use disorder should consider heroin treatment. At rehab, trained medical experts can provide the medications, therapy and nutritional advice needed to overcome heroin addiction.
Medical Disclaimer: DrugRehab.com aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.
Author
Content Writer,
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Matt Gonzales is a writer and researcher for DrugRehab.com. He graduated with a degree in journalism from East Carolina University and began his professional writing career in 2011. Matt covers the latest drug trends and shares inspirational stories of people who have overcome addiction. Certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in health literacy, Matt leverages his experience in addiction research to provide hope to those struggling with substance use disorders.
View Sources
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