Heroin was not extensively used in medicine until the beginning of this century. Commercial production of this new pain remedy first began in 1898. While it was received with widespread acceptance from the medical profession, physicians remained unaware of its potential for addiction for years. The first comprehensive control of heroin in the United States was established with the Harrison Narcotic Act of 1914.
Pure heroin is a white powder with a bitter taste.
Most illicit heroin is a powder which may vary in color from white to dark brown because of impurities left from the manufacturing process or the presence of additives. Pure heroin is rarely sold on the street. The remainder could be sugars, starch, powdered milk, or quinine. Traditionally, the purity of heroin in a bag has ranged from one to ten percent. The color and consistency of black tar heroin result from the crude processing methods used to illicitly manufacture heroin in Mexico.