Heroin was discovered by Bayer, the German pharmaceutical company, as an alternative to morphine.  Because the pain-killer also made people feel euphoric or even heroic, it earned its name Heroin.

The day when it was safety sold at the corner drugstore, however, was a long, long  time ago.

Given the, shall we say, uneven production methods now supplying the demand for Heroin, it comes as no surprise that bad batches lead to bad results.    Dublin, Ireland is now dealing with the worst possible result--Heroin on the street that is contaminated with deadly Botulism.

One drug user is already dead and six others may be suffering with Botulism.

Ireland's Belfast Telegraph reports:

Officials are trying to determine whether the outbreak may be linked to a batch of contaminated heroin.

Botulism is caused by a toxin released by the clostridium botulinum bacterium and can affect drug users who inject into soft tissue rather than veins.

The disease can lead to problems with vision and paralysis and can be fatal in 5-10 percent of cases.

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