Lamar Odom is still battling his old demons. A friend tells Life & Style that the former basketball star relapsed during a visit with Jamie Sangouthai, who died in June from an infection contracted through IV drug use.

During a stay at a Best Western in LA about two months before, the men left behind traces of black tar heroin, straws and burnt tinfoil — evidence they’d been inhaling the drug, a method known as “chasing the dragon.”

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Life & Style Weekly

Photos obtained exclusively by Life & Style “definitely show black tar heroin,” says substance abuse counselor Dr. Alicen McGowan. “The heroin is placed on top of tinfoil and a lighter heats it from below. A person uses a straw to inhale the vapors.”

A friend of Lamar’s tells Life & Style, “Lamar left for Las Vegas in mid-May, and he’s been regularly getting high.”

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Thru good and bad times life shows us every spirit matters and leaves a print on the hearts of others after they have passed… RIP Jamie Sangouthai #GodHelpUsAll

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And while he’s assured friends he’ll seek treatment, Lamar’s strange behavior, slurred speech and mood swings are making those close to him increasingly worried. “His friends are scared that he’ll wind up like his friend Bobby Heyward and Jamie,” the pal says.

For more on Lamar Odom’s struggle, pick up the latest issue of Life & Style, on newsstands now!