Medically Reviewed By: Kimberly Langdon M.D.
China white is considered purer than other types of heroin, such as black tar heroin. The purity of China White means that it may have a more intense effect on an individual.
It’s also possible for a single dose of China White to be lethal, particularly when used in conjunction with alcohol or another sedative drug.
Although there’s not much information about China White, most reports indicate that this illegal drug is stronger than other forms of heroin and carries higher risks for dependency and overdose.
What Is China White Heroin?
Originally, China White was refined heroin from Southeast Asia. But today, China White is slang for synthetic heroin tainted with fentanyl-like chemicals and is extremely dangerous.
In the market for China White heroin, furanyl fentanyl is the most widely available ingredient. An opioid painkiller known as fentanyl is the primary source of furanyl fentanyl.
Alpha-Methylfentanyl and acetyl fentanyl are also found in China White Heroin samples.
China White is purer and produces a far more intense high than most other types of heroin. Certain states, such as Rhode Island, New York, and Pennsylvania, have seen a rise in China White use as the nation struggles with an increasing opioid crisis.
Furanyl fentanyl, the active ingredient in China White, was classified as a Schedule I Drug by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in November 2018.
How China White Heroin Is Made
The basic formula for most synthetic opioids is to take real pain medication, like morphine or codeine, and replace some of its hydrogen atoms with fluorine.
The result is an opioid that is more potent than a natural substance and resistant to degradation by stomach acids.
China White is made by adding fluoroacetate groups onto fentanyl, a prescription painkiller about 80 times stronger than morphine that has been used for decades in anesthesia.
How China White Heroin Is Used
China white is mostly injected into veins, but some heroin users also snort it or inhale it through the nose. The latter method brings on an immediate, euphoric rush and a euphoric high.
Injections involve mixing the powder with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or saline solutions, then injecting it into veins.
Risks And Dangers Of Using China White Heroin
Respiratory depression isn’t the only problem that China White heroin use can cause.
Other effects of heroin include:
- puffy lips
- overdose
- spells of fainting
- stomach upsets
- nausea
- drowsiness
- a faster than normal pulse
- hepatitis
- psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety
- lung issues
- smoking-related effects, such as increased risk of lung cancer
- injection-related effects, such as heroin abscesses and collapsed veins
- snorting-related effects, such as nasal tissue damage
Treatment For Heroin Misuse
The first step in any addiction treatment program is often detoxification. It helps remove all traces of heroin from your body in order to eradicate withdrawal symptoms.
Inpatient rehab centers provide around-the-clock medical supervision and access to various recovery services, like group therapy and recreational therapy sessions.
This helps people build new skills, learn about substance abuse, and develop new forms of self-expression.
Addiction education programs can also help people overcome their dependencies on drugs by learning how drugs and their derivatives affect their minds and bodies.
Find Addiction Treatment At Bedrock Recovery Center
There are many different types of heroin addiction rehab programs, and each has different levels of success.
If you’re looking for good rehabilitation programs for heroin addiction, consider looking for medically supervised and long-term treatment options, such as our residential treatment programs at Bedrock Recovery Center.
Contact Bedrock today to learn more about our quality heroin addiction treatment options.
- DEA.gov — Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide (2020 Edition) https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Drugs%20of%20Abuse%202020-Web%20Version-508%20compliant-4-24-20_0.pdf
- Rolling Stone — ‘China White’: What You Need to Know About Heroin-Like Drug https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/china-white-what-you-need-to-know-about-heroin-like-drug-107437/