| Pure heroin is rarely sold on the street. A "bag" (slang for a small unit of heroin sold on the street) currently contains about 30 to 50 milligrams of powder, only a portion of which is heroin. The remainder could be sugar, starch, acetaminophen, procaine, benzocaine, or quinine, or any of numerous cutting agents for heroin. Traditionally, the purity of heroin in a bag ranged from 1 to 10 percent. More recently, heroin purity has ranged from about 10 to 70 percent. Black tar heroin is often sold in chunks weighing about an ounce. Its purity is generally less than South American heroin and it is most frequently smoked, or dissolved, diluted, and injected. In the past, heroin in the United States was almost always injected, because this is the most practical and efficient way to administer low-purity heroin. However, the recent availability of higher purity heroin at relatively low cost has meant that a larger percentage of today's users are either snorting or smoking heroin, instead of injecting it. This trend was first captured in the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, which revealed that 60 to 70 percent of people who used heroin for the first time from 1996 to 1998 never injected it. This trend has continued. Snorting or smoking heroin is more appealing to new users because it eliminates both the fear of acquiring syringe-borne diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis, as well as eliminating the social stigma attached to intravenous heroin use. Many new users of heroin mistakenly believe that smoking or snorting heroin is a safe technique for avoiding addiction. However, both the smoking and the snorting of heroin are directly linked to high incidences of dependence and addiction. According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, during the latter half of the 1990s, heroin initiation rates rose to a level not reached since the 1970s. In 1974, there were an estimated 246,000 heroin initiates. Between 1988 and 1994, the annual number of new users ranged from 28,000 to 80,000. Between 1995 and 2001, the number of new heroin users was consistently greater than 100,000. Overall, approximately 3.7 million Americans reported using heroin at least once in their lifetime. |
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| Houston Criminal Lawyer Andy Nolen can protect your rights, ensure you receive fair treatment, and make a tremendous difference in your case and how it will affect you for the rest of your life. As an attorney, Andy Nolen's philosophy is grounded in the strong belief that his clients should be fully informed about every aspect of their case as it progresses. You need a good attorney who will prepare your case thoroughly and who will make a strong and reasonable presentation to the court. Being charged with any crime is a frightening experience. This is especially true for a person who has never had contact with the criminal justice system before. Suddenly, you find yourself thrust into a world you never imagined you would be a part of, and subjected to indignities you never thought you would experience. The stress of being the subject of an investigation or the trauma of being arrested and booked into a jail can truly be overwhelming. For some people, the experience is so traumatic that it even makes them question their most basic assumptions about what kind of person they are. Fortunately, being arrested or charged with a crime is not the end of the world. |
| Houston defense lawyer, Attorney Andy Nolen, represents people who have been accused of a state crime or Houston law, including in communities such as League City, Angleton, Pearland, Alvin, Clear Lake, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Baytown, Pasadena, Memorial, Spring Branch, River Oaks, West University, and Bellaire. Counties that Houston criminal attorney Andy Nolen serves include: Galveston County • Fort Bend County • Montgomery County • Brazoria County • Harris County. Cases handled include: Possession of Marijuana, Cocaine, Crystal Methamphetamine, Xanax, Prescription Drugs, Probation Violations, Theft, Shoplifting, Drunk Driving, Evading Arrest, and all other Felonies and Misdemeanors. |
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| 713-697-4373 TOLL FREE 1-(866)-454-7312 Principal Office 2016 Main St. #808 Houston, Texas 77002 |
| Houston Drug Defense Attorney Andy Nolen 17 YEARS COURTROOM EXPERIENCE HELPING HOUSTONIANS |
| ANDY NOLEN HOUSTON CRIMINAL LAWYER OVER 17 YEARS CRIMINAL LAW EXPERIENCE LICENSED IN BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL COURT |
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