# Prepping a shot of heroin, why the lighter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882 "2013-03-14T02:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elihow88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@elihow88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elihow88)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/41 "2015-04-05T08:08:15Z")
user here: you heat the dope to dissolve it in the water and also to sterilize it, at least that’s true for black tar. on the east coast if you have super pure china it’s not necessary as long as you’re using sterilized water ---
**Author:** ![elihow88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/db5fbb/32.png) [@elihow88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elihow88)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/42 "2015-04-05T08:14:39Z")
I always try to run my shot under cool water or let it sit for a second before injecting, just seems like the reasonable thing to do plus you feel the heat when you inject it hot doesn’t feel good ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2015, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/43 "2015-04-05T11:05:58Z")
Heroin itself is extremely soluble. What the heating does is take care of opioid impurities such as Morphine and Codeine that you want anyway. Regarding using a lighter, gas lighters are best as they don’t soot up the spoon. Petroleum lighters like Zippo are not much good. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/44 "2015-04-06T00:04:31Z")
> [@elihow88](#): > > user here: you heat the dope to dissolve it in the water and also to sterilize it, at least that’s true for black tar. on the east coast if you have super pure china it’s not necessary as long as you’re using sterilized water > [@elihow88](#): > > I always try to run my shot under cool water or let it sit for a second before injecting, just seems like the reasonable thing to do plus you feel the heat when you inject it hot doesn’t feel good **Moderator Note** **elihow88** , please note from [our rules,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7696990&postcount=5) already mentioned in post #33 above. > [@](#): > > Drugs that are illegal in the US: You may discuss the effects of drugs, but not where to obtain them. **Limited discussion of past use of drugs is OK, but discussion of current use is not.** Please include a disclaimer that the drug is illegal in the US. Let’s not continue discussion of current use of illegal drugs. No warning issued. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Womb\_Raider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@Womb\_Raider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Womb_Raider)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/45 "2017-03-23T18:24:53Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > I stand corrected. Yes, ‘powder’ is a solid. :smack: > > :smack: Again, I stand corrected. It’s been a long time since I was around all of that sort of thing. 😉 Yes powder is a solid. If it was already a liquid you wouldn’t need to add water and heat it up to begin with totally negates the question at hand. Dumb answer… I personally have found using warm water like 130 degrees F. Works the best. In addition if you want to get your wash or remainder take about 1 and a half syringes full of water drop them in the spoon along with the filter or filters you have used and heat up the water along wit the filters in the spoon until you have around 3/4 of a syringe full. A lot will be caught up in the filter and by boiling you release whats caught up and usually the 2nd go around is just as good if not better than the first. ---
**Author:** ![Womb\_Raider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@Womb\_Raider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Womb_Raider)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/46 "2017-03-23T18:27:23Z")
> [@elihow88](#): > > user here: you heat the dope to dissolve it in the water and also to sterilize it, at least that’s true for black tar. on the east coast if you have super pure china it’s not necessary as long as you’re using sterilized water It does not really sterilize it as much as you think… Even when we are under boil water alerts they tell you to boil water for 3 to 5 minutes before use… Unless you are boiling water in your spoon for that long I am sure it plays no effect. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/47 "2017-03-23T18:33:44Z")
I wonder if new posters to this thread are getting confused by the “Straight Dope” moniker. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882/48 "2017-03-23T19:13:04Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Womb\_Raider](#): > > Yes powder is a solid. If it was already a liquid you wouldn’t need to add water and heat it up to begin with totally negates the question at hand. Dumb answer… > > I personally have found using warm water like 130 degrees F. Works the best. > > In addition if you want to get your wash or remainder take about 1 and a half syringes full of water drop them in the spoon along with the filter or filters you have used and heat up the water along wit the filters in the spoon until you have around 3/4 of a syringe full. > > A lot will be caught up in the filter and by boiling you release whats caught up and usually the 2nd go around is just as good if not better than the first. Since you are new here, I’m not going to issue a warning, but see the moderator note right above your post for an explanation of why this is not acceptable here. Before anyone else gets themselves in trouble, I am closing this. Thread closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prepping-a-shot-of-heroin-why-the-lighter/652882.md?page=2)