This is the Difference Between Heroin and Fentanyl
If you want to know about drugs, ask a recovering addict.
As a connoisseur of fine opiates, now would be the time for me to once again point out that I’m a recovering junkie and not an addictionologist. I’ve said this many times. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get to the issue at hand: fentanyl.
If you do any reading at all on the current opioid crisis you are probably well aware of what fentanyl is. For those of you who don’t, as someone who has both knowingly and unknowingly used fentanyl and its analogs…allow me to enlighten you.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Definition:
Fentanyl: “Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent.”
My Definition:
Fentanyl: Some really strong shit. Like some really, really strong shit.
With that being said, scientists and medical professionals may be able to tell you all about pharmaceutical grade fentanyl and its effects in highly controlled environments. However, very few that I have come across know a damn thing about what is out there on the streets.
Seeing as how heroin is a Schedule I substance, even fewer have the slightest insight as to how fentanyl REALLY compares to heroin outside of the literature. They might be able to tell you all about the chemistry and how the two compare on paper, but the bottom line is that unless you have personally consumed them you’ll never know what they are like, how they feel, or what they do.
….this is where I come in. Lucky you.
My Qualifications
As someone who has IV’d street opiates in two different cities — one where fentanyl is the primary drug of choice and the other where heroin or heroin-laced fentanyl are king — my opinion matters. I’m kind of a big deal.
Also, in case you are curious, in order to at least pretend to maintain some sense of anonymity we’ll just say that these cities rhyme with….you know what, nothing really rhymes with either St. Louis or Milwaukee. They were St. Louis and Milwaukee.
St Louis = Fentanyl/Fentanyl Analogs
Milwaukee = Heroin/Fentanyl-laced Heroin
Also, I have tested my Milwaukee dope via disposable fentanyl test strips, and after using in St. Louis during my last run, my blood work contained absolutely no heroin. While I knew that what I was picking up was most definitely fentanyl or an analog, I thought that there might have at least been some heroin in it. I was clearly wrong.
Heroin vs. Fentanyl: How They Feel
Heroin, especially if injected, is pretty potent. Fentanyl on the other hand is another animal entirely. Let’s take a look at these professional medical drawings to better understand:
Even after maintaining a solid half-gram to gram-a-day heroin habit in Milwaukee, upon returning to St. Louis I found that $5 worth of fentanyl was enough to significantly fuck me up. The rush felt as though I had been hit by a train, and to be honest, I’m baffled by the fact that I am still alive.
Contrarily, when I returned back to Milwaukee after spending some time in the St. Louis area, the heroin was no longer able to get me high whatsoever. In fact, it was so genuinely ineffective after using fentanyl that I actually became dope sick despite the fact that I was once again shooting a lot of dope! It was absolute madness.
Heroin vs. Fentanyl: What They Look Like
There is absolutely no way of knowing what you are buying on the street based on appearances alone. Let me say that again for effect: there is ABSOLUTELY no way of knowing what you are buying on the street based on appearances alone. But there are some telltale giveaways that can point to the presence of fentanyl.
Heroin
- can be brown, tan, grey, or off-white in color (black tar heroin looks like black tar)
- when dissolved in water the color is typically brown but can be dark/light grey
- usually comes in the form of a solid chunk, or clumpy powder (typically a sign it is laced with fentanyl)
Fentanyl
- bright white
- transparent in water…like Aquafina clear
- a fine white powder…can be sold in disposable capsules
Additionally, I highly encourage active users to test their drugs with fentanyl test strips. They can usually be found free of charge at any needle exchange, and they do not require you to destroy any of your precious dope…there is really nothing to lose. As a realist, I know that if the results come back positive for fentanyl, no addict is going to throw away whatever it is they just bought — myself included. However, at least you will know what you are dealing with and can plan accordingly.
Heroin vs. Fentanyl: How Much Do They Cost?
While I don’t exactly have a great deal of experience on the wholesale end, I can tell you what I was paying for both. In Milwaukee, a gram of good dope or fentanyl-laced heroin will run you in the neighborhood of $120–$140 respectively. On the other hand, in St. Louis where the fentanyl is sold in capsule form you will receive upwards of twenty-five, .1 gram buttons for $100 or less. For those of you who might be handicapped in the mathematical department, you are getting 2.5x the amount of dope, which is exponentially stronger, at a significantly cheaper rate.
It is my theory, and mark my words as I am 100% confident on this one, that within a matter of a few short years there will be absolutely no heroin to be found in the United States. Fentanyl is only a fraction of the cost, a million times easier to transport/smuggle, and heroin dealers simply can’t compete with its potency. This is extremely concerning because even though heroin is a killer, with little or no tolerance even snorting a small line of fentanyl can be deadly. IV’ing is nothing short of suicidal. This makes relapse or even casual experimentation a million times more dangerous, and almost everyone I know who has died has passed away immediately following a period of clean time.
Heroin vs. Fentanyl: True or False?
There are a million different myths going around about fentanyl, and I would like to address them:
1. If you even touch a bag of fentanyl it can be absorbed through your skin and kill you
This is absolutely false. I have touched fentanyl a million times and can 100% verify that it will not get you high via this route. In fact, a simple Google search will show you a video of an addictionologist blatantly touching a bag of fentanyl-laced heroin. He’s 100 percent fine.
2. Most of the illicit fentanyl is coming directly from China in the mail
This one is mostly false…at least to my knowledge. While some forms of fentanyl and its analogs can be ordered quite easily via the dark web, most of the fentanyl supply is being smuggled into the US via Mexico. I can’t be entirely sure if the cartels are buying fentanyl directly from illicit Chinese labs or smuggling its precursor chemicals in order to produce it in-house…but either way, it is coming from Mexico.
3. Narcan will not work on a fentanyl overdose
Narcan, the overdose antidote, CAN work on a fentanyl overdose. However, it will often take a great deal more than it would for heroin. As with fentanyl test strips, needle exchanges will often train and provide addicts with take-home Narcan doses free of charge. As for exotic fentanyl analogs and Narcan’s effectiveness, I’ll admit that I don’t know.
4. Fentanyl has no medicinal uses
Unlike heroin which is a Schedule I substance, fentanyl can serve legitimate medicinal purposes in some rare situations. Typically it is used for terminally ill/cancer patients who have developed a high tolerance to morphine or other opiates. Even then, it is normally administered via a lozenge or patch. Except in extreme cases, it is rarely IV’d.
5. Pills are safer than heroin since most of it is being cut with fentanyl
This is FALSE, FALSE, FALSE! In fact, in my opinion depending on your location geographically one is MORE likely to take a dose of fentanyl when buying prescription pills. Since pills are more expensive than heroin on the black market, the cartels and crafty dealers have become creative. Many, or rather most, of the pills you find on the street today are counterfeit. Wanna take a guess what the key ingredient is in these look-alikes? You guessed it…fucking fentanyl.
6. Street-level drug dealers don’t know what is in their product
Again, this one is mostly false. While street-level drug dealers rarely use their poison themselves, in my experience, they have frequently sought feedback from their customers in exchange for better deals or free samples. For me, I knew right away that I was using fentanyl. The high was a million times more intense and the price was ungodly low. Drug dealers, at least those who are good at what they do, are usually not stupid. They know that when their new shipment — which costs a third of its normal wholesale price — receives 10 times better reviews, that something is up. It’s most likely a don’t ask don’t tell policy.
Heroin vs. Fentanyl: Some Conclusions
To conclude, I have used heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl-laced heroin on many occasions. I have learned what to look for, know how they feel, and have experienced firsthand the destruction that they can bring.
Heroin is bad, but fentanyl is a demon that has only begun to show its ugly face.
If there is any advice that I can give to active opiate addicts it is this: get out of the game while you still can.
Reach out for help. Be brutally honest, and learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
P.S. Seriously …fuck fentanyl.
If you need help to get clean and/or sober, you’re not alone.
There’s no shame in getting addicted to addictive substances. And the fact is, it’s likely not going to get any easier to quit than it is right now.
Go to your doctor, try Smart or AA or NA. Try Hip Sobriety or Soberistas. Do whatever it takes to stay sober for 30 days. Read beautiful hangover. Listen to Recovery Elevator and SHAIR podcasts. Read This Naked Mind. Try Moderation Management.
There is a whole community of people just waiting to help you. Reach out. Something better is waiting for you.
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