Black Tar Heroin

“Black tar” a relatively crude and unrefined form of heroin is sticky like roofing tar or hard like coal and is predominantly produced in Mexico and sold in U.S. areas west of the Mississippi River. The production of this crude heroin does not require complex lab equipment, high-purity acetylating chemicals or lengthy reflux steps necessary to produce pure heroin, making tar heroin attractive to clandestine drug producers. The dark color associated with black tar heroin results from crude processing methods that leave behind impurities. Impure heroin is usually dissolved, diluted, and injected into veins, muscles, or under the skin.