Admissions to Texas DSHS-funded addiction treatment centers tell a different story about areas of Texas north of the border area. Marijuana does remain the culprit behind the majority of admissions. However, methamphetamine usage is not far behind. In areas north of the border, people seeking treatment for meth abuse is more common than that for heroin.
In fact, most of Texas has largely evaded the worst of the heroin epidemic that’s ravaging states further north. This is because of the prevalence of Mexican Black Tar heroin. This type of heroin makes up the majority of heroin used in Texas. Mexican Black Tar is lower in purity than the heroin found in the northeast. It also doesn’t mix well with fentanyl, which is the synthetic opioid that’s causing increased numbers of overdoses. Notably, when authorities find fentanyl in Texas, it’s more frequently mixed with benzodiazepines and other opiates. Only 3% of Texas heroin deaths involve fentanyl.