Heroin was first synthesized from morphine in 1874 and was not used much in medicine until the beginning of this century. Heroin was marketed as a commercial pain reliever in 1898 but was strictly controlled by 1914 through the Harrison Narcotic Act. It received widespread acceptance when it was first discovered, but once physicians discovered its addictive traits it was quickly placed under tight control.
Heroine is an illegal opiate that is commonly known as smack, brown sugar, junk, dope, horse, and many other names. It is derived from the resin of the poppy plant and grows mainly in Asia, Mexico, and Colombia. This drug is manufactured in remote factories and then smuggled to countries such as the United States. Small quantities are smuggled through borders by putting it inside a small latex balloon before boarding commercial airlines.
Pure heroin has a bitter taste and is a white powder. Most heroin is a powder and its color can vary from white to dark brown, mainly caused by the impurities left from the manufacturing process and the presence of additives. Pure heroin is not often found on the street, and a bag of heroin (about 100mg) is the most common way this drug is sold. Only a small portion of a bag is actually heroin. Other substances used to make the drug seem to have more substance include powdered milk, sugar, starch, or quinine. The purity of a bag of heroin normally averages only 35%.
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