Los Angeles heroin culture in the 1990s

[Gunt_Cruncher]

I'm writing a fictional story about heroin addicts in Los Angeles, 1997. I was wondering if anyone on this forum could help me with some details. I know there are probably a very small amount of heroin users still alive from that time, but I thought I'd ask. Please don't feel like you have to answer if it's going to give you the urge to use.

My main question is about the type of heroin - it was black tar at that time and place, right? When I used, it was around that time but in a different part of the country, where the heroin was white powder. Would there have been any white powder heroin available for middle to upper class junkies at that time? I want to make sure I get the details about Los Angeles right.

My secondary question is where heroin users would have copped in the 1990s, and which bars and clubs they would have hung out at. If you can help me out with getting my story right, it's important to me to honor those who passed from this with correct treatment of the situation they lived in, even though the story is going to end up being fiction. Thanks to all you guys and congratulations on surviving.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

I recommend finding the book Righteous Dopefiend by Philippe Bourgeois. He is a cultural anthropologist and followed IV heroin users around San Francisco for 10 years gathering the data to write this book. May not be LA but there is some info in it that you might find useful.

Also, since your story will be fiction, I don't think the names of the bars/clubs should matter. Just make up names and write the story. Just my .02

Since this thread has geographic context, I think it will get more traffic in North South America Drug Discussion.

DC -> NSADD

 

[JackARoe]

1987-89, [Jack removing street corner name ] South Central LA. Chiva, strong brown powder as well as strong tar that looked like resin. It seemed back then tar was known as the stuff!

NYC had white powder, whatever number H that was. I stopped the streets in 1992 when I started just using poppy pods. Had a family flower business and had cheap pods sent to the store from all over.