Editing Heroin (section)

===Injection===
[[File:Injecting Heroin.JPG|thumb|Heroin solution injected after being filtered through cotton from a tampon]]

[[Drug injection|Injection]], also known as "slamming", "banging", "shooting up", "digging" or "mainlining", is a popular method which carries relatively greater risks than other methods of administration. Heroin base (commonly found in Europe), when prepared for injection, will only dissolve in water when mixed with an acid (most commonly citric acid powder or lemon juice) and heated. Heroin in the [[Eastern United States|east-coast United States]] is most commonly found in the hydrochloride salt form, requiring just water (and no heat) to dissolve.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} Users tend to initially inject in the easily accessible arm veins, but as these veins collapse over time, users resort to more dangerous areas of the body, such as the [[femoral vein]] in the groin. Some medical professionals have expressed concern over this route of administration, as they suspect that it can lead to [[deep vein thrombosis]].<ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Strang J, Gossop M |title=Heroin Addiction and the British System: Treatment and policy responses |date=2005 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-29817-9 |page=121 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gdwgn83NEJgC&pg=PA121 }}</ref>

Intravenous users can use a variable single dose range using a [[hypodermic needle]]. The dose of heroin used for recreational purposes is dependent on the frequency and level of use.

As with the injection of any drug, if a group of users [[needle sharing|share a common needle]] without sterilization procedures, blood-borne diseases, such as [[HIV/AIDS]] or [[hepatitis]], can be transmitted.
The use of a common dispenser for water for the use in the preparation of the injection, as well as the sharing of spoons and filters can also cause the spread of blood-borne diseases. Many countries now supply small sterile spoons and filters for single use in order to prevent the spread of disease.<ref name="Thakarar_2020">{{cite journal | vauthors = Thakarar K, Nenninger K, Agmas W | title = Harm Reduction Services to Prevent and Treat Infectious Diseases in People Who Use Drugs | journal = Infectious Disease Clinics of North America | volume = 34 | issue = 3 | pages = 605–620 | date = September 2020 | pmid = 32782104 | pmc = 7596878 | doi = 10.1016/j.idc.2020.06.013 }}</ref>