What's Chased the Dragon?

"Chasing the dragon" is a slang phrase of Cantonese origin from Hong Kong referring to inhaling the vapor from a heated solution of morphine, heroin, oxycodone, opium, or ya ba.

What does chasing the dragon stand for?

Chasing the dragon is a way of smoking heroin. It usually involves placing powdered heroin on foil and heating it from below with a lighter. Foil used to heat heroin in order to “Chase the Dragon” The heroin turns to a sticky liquid and wriggles around like a Chinese dragon, hence the name.

Is Chasing the Dragon Safe?

While inhalation of this opioid may prevent transmission of bloodborne disease from contaminated needles, it introduces different dangers. “'Chasing the dragon' is not as safe as portrayed. And this isn't something some doctor is saying to scare people away, it's reality," Dr. Ramos-Estebanez said.