Heroin base

[IkBenDeMan]

SWIM used the search through a couple different forums and hasn't found too much information on this; SWIM has however heard that smoking heroin is a waste. SWIM usually smokes heroin out of a glass pipe, but prefers to stay away from it because he finds the price to be high and the ability to get high to be low. SWIM has heard that smoking it is a waste anyways but he was just wondering if, as with most other drugs, it would be more beneficial to first convert heroin to its base (as it is usually supplied as its hydrochloride salt). SWIM knows this is true for drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and cocaine, and through his own small amount of chemistry background, would assume it would be better to first convert it to base. Can someone please let SWIM know if a) it would be better to convert heroin to base before smoking it (though SWIM hasn't read ANYTHING about this) b) how this might affect bioavailability and c) if baking soda or ammonia would be suitable chemicals for this process. SWIM thanks SWIY in advance for the reply.

[IkBenDeMan]

Just to let you all know, after quite a bit of searching I finally found this study performed in the Netherlands comparing the technicalities of heroin base, heroin hydrochloride, and so on:

"Analytical Studies of Illicit Heroin"
http://www.springerlink.com/content/...5/fulltext.pdf

So, however, I still cannot answer all the questions for SWIM but I have found that, by this study:
Heroin Hydrochloride completely volatilizes at 325 degrees C, but shows, apparently significant degredation.
Heroin base, however, is completely volatilized at 225 C, with little mention of degredation products.

My lack of chemistry knowledge is quite detrimental, however, so I can't quite answer SWIM's question.

I and SWIM believe that the base, when smoked, would be far benificial, as it is when one smokes cocaine base, rather than its salt. SWIM is also wondering if anybody could offer a method for removing the hydrochloride from the heroin, at least theoretically, and if Ammonia or Baking Soda would work, just as with cocaine. God speed.

[IkBenDeMan]

Sorry that link didn't work to the study: Go here and then go to the PDF link located on the right-hand side.

[cz-one]

The afgahni base stuff we have in europe is intended for smoking and is cut with caffeine so it runs better on the foil,with this type, smoking it in a pipe is a waste,and i think i've read somewhere that you do only end up inhaling just over 60% of any diamorphine in the deal because of the loss due to the temperature. I've heard of converting from base to the Hcl. salt,as obviously it'd make it more cost effective and purify it,but as for converting it from the salt back to a base form,i dont know,if SWIM was able to get the Hcl. salt,i'd imagine most european users wouldnt bother at all with the base stuff,but as thats all there is since the late 70's,its tough luck.