Because of differences in purity, uncertain heroin dosages can lead to which outcome?

Because of differences in purity, uncertain heroin dosages can lead to which outcome?

• A. Overdose
• B. Coma
• C. Improvement
• D. No effect

Answer: (A)

Variations in purity make the actual amount of active drug unpredictable. If a batch is purer than expected, using the same amount can deliver a much stronger dose, overwhelming the body’s ability to breathe and leading to an overdose. Because heroin depresses respiration, the risk of life-threatening breathing problems rises quickly when potency is higher than anticipated. While a severe overdose can include coma as a symptom, the central risk tied to uncertain dosages is overdose overall.

Variations in purity make the actual amount of active drug unpredictable. If a batch is purer than expected, using the same amount can deliver a much stronger dose, overwhelming the body’s ability to breathe and leading to an overdose. Because heroin depresses respiration, the risk of life-threatening breathing problems rises quickly when potency is higher than anticipated. While a severe overdose can include coma as a symptom, the central risk tied to uncertain dosages is overdose overall.