The street names of drugs are a way to communicate about them without identifying an actual drug. Hearing a loved one use these slang terms can be a red flag for possible drug abuse needing addiction treatment, so it’s important to know as many as possible. These names may be spoken, handwritten, or included in emails or texts.
Heroin
Heroin is popular because of the euphoric high it induces, even from the first use. However, this is also what makes heroin so addictive; individuals continue injecting this drug, hoping to achieve the intensity of the original high—referred to as “chasing the dragon,” which leads to long-term use.
- Ballot
- Black Eagle
- BlueStar
- Blue Magic
- China Cat
- Dog Food
- Eggs
- Glass
- Hard Candy
- Heaven
- Horse
- Mojo
- Racehorse Charlie
- Rawhide
- Spider
- Stuff
- Sweet Dreams
- Tiger
- Tootsie Roll
- White Girl
- Wicked
- Wings
Opioids
Opioids were originally hailed as an effective pain medication. Thanks to a mix of advertising dollars, over-prescribing by doctors, and misrepresentation by pharmaceutical companies, the opioid epidemic continues its assault on the nation. Opioids can be taken in pill form or crushed and snorted or injected.
- 357s
- 80s
- AC/DC
- Auntie Emma
- Black Stuff
- Blue
- Cotton
- Dreams
- Emsel
- Fizzies
- Hydros
- Kickers
- Lorries
- Mister Blue
- Nods
- OCs
- Oxy
- Percs
- Schoolboy
- Syrup
- Tomater
- Toys
- Vikes
- Watsons
Methamphetamine
Used by millions of Americans as a “club drug,” methamphetamine is a stimulant that is ranked near the top of the list of drug threats. It’s also being produced at high rates today and is more potent.
- Black Beauty
- Boo
- Brown
- Bump
- Cheese
- Chicken Feed
- Cinnamon
- Cousin Tina
- Cristy
- Crypto
- Crystal Meth
- Desocsins
- Elbows
- Fast
- Getgo
- Granulated Orange
- Hot Ice
- Jet Fuel
- Lithium
- Load of Laundry
- Methlies Quick
- Nazimeth
- Peanut Butter
- Po Coke
- Red
- Rock
- Scootie
- Tic
- Wash
- Zip
Cocaine
Cocaine exists in white powder form and represents one of the greatest drug threats. Cultivation and production is higher than ever in Columbia, the source of almost all of the cocaine that exists in the world. Because it’s one of the most notorious drugs, cocaine also has many street names.
- Angie
- Aspirin
- Baby
- Baseball
- Beam
- Butler
- Cakes
- Candy
- Casper
- Chalk
- Champagne
- Cloud 9
- Crystal
- Dice
- Dip
- Dream
- Egg
- Everclear
- Face
- Gin
- Girlfriend
- Gold Dust
- Half-Track
- Hamburger Helper
- Heaven
- Hotcakes
- Ice
- Jelly
- Junk
- King
- Kryptonite
- Lady
- Leaf
- Love Affair
- Marching Dust
- Mayo
- Nose Candy
- Nuggets
- Onion
- Paradise
- Pearl
- Peruvian Lady
- Primo
- Rails
- Ready Rock
- Richard
- Roxanne
- Snow
- Soda
- Space
- Star
- Tornado
- Troop
- Turkey
- Uzi
- Wave
- White Horse
- Wings
- Yay
- Yoda
- Yolo
- Zip
Crack Cocaine
The form of cocaine in crystal form is called crack cocaine. Crack can be a solid block, and it can also come in the form of white, pale rose, or yellow crystals. Heating the crystals before smoking causes them to crack or pop; hence, the name.
Crack is very addictive because of its fast and intense high. It only takes one time to cause addiction.
- Apple Jacks
- Base
- Candy
- Cookies
- Dice
- Fat bags
- French Fries
- Gravel
- Hail
- Hotcakes
- Ice cube
- Jelly Beans
- Paste
- Piece
- Product
- Rock
- Rock Star
- Scrabble
- Snow Coke
- Tornado
- Troop
Fentanyl
Fentanyl represents another legitimate pharmaceutical. This painkiller is used to relieve the pain of end-stage cancer patients. Fentanyl is also an opioid and is hundreds to thousands of times more powerful than morphine. Fatal overdoses from this drug are increasing.
- Apache
- China Girl
- Dance Fever
- Goodfellas
- Great Bear
- He-Man
- Jackpot
- King Ivory
- Murder 8
- Perc-a-Pop
- Tango and Cash
- TNT
Benzodiazepine
Benzodiazepines are a class of legitimate drugs that are prescribed for the purpose of relieving the symptoms of anxiety, inducing sleep, preventing seizures, and producing a sedating effect. Common brand names include Ativan, Klonopin, Restoril, and Valium, and it also has a number of street names.
- Benzos
- Blues
- Blue Ruffles
- Blue Bombs
- Bricks
- Candy
- Clons
- Chill Pills
- Downers
- French Fries
- Footballs
- Green Eggs
- Jellies
- K-Pins
- Moggies
- Nerve Pills
- Norries
- Rophies
- Roofies
- Rugby Balls
- Sleeping Pills
- Super Valium
- Tems
- Temazzies
- Totem Poles
- Tranks
- Upjohn
- Vallies
- Yellows
- Zanbars
- Z Bars
Xanax
Xanax represents another commonly prescribed drug for anxiety. When misused, this drug can cause a person to feel drowsiness and create an odd sensation. Although Xanax doesn’t produce the intense high of some of the other drugs on this list, it is highly addictive. Xanax can also cause serious side effects, including seizures and depression, and it has several street names.
- Bars
- Benzos
- Bicycle Parts
- Blue Footballs
- Bricks
- Hulk
- Ladders
- Peaches
- School Bus
- UpJohns
- White Boys
- White Girls
- Xan
- Xanies
- Yellow Boys
- Zan
- Zannies
- Zanbars
- Z-Bars
Morphine
Yet another opioid, for decades morphine has been used for the treatment and management of pain after surgery. Available in tablet, liquid, and powder form, this common drug can be ingested via swallowing, smoking, or inhaling through the nose (snorting) and causes the user to feel euphoric. The drug can cause a slow heartbeat, shallow breathing, seizures, and extreme mood changes.
- Dreamer
- Emsel
- First Line
- God’s Drug
- Hows
- M
- Miss Emma
- Miss M
- MS
- MisterBlue
- Monkey
- Morphs
- Morphos
- S
- Salt and Sugar
- Unkie
- White Lady
- White Stuff
OxyContin
OxyContin, also known by its generic name Oxycodone, is another drug prescribed as a painkiller. This particular drug kills pain over a 12-hour period via the slow release of medication. However, when misused, several pills are crushed and then snorted.
This instantly delivers the full dose for a potent high. However, many seeking the same high at a lower cost will turn to heroin, which also does not require a prescription to obtain.
- 30s
- 512s
- As
- Berries
- Blue
- Blues
- Blueberries
- Hillbilly Heroin
- Kickers
- Killers
- Ms
- O
- OC
- Ox
- Oxy
- Oxy80s
- Oxycet
- Oxycotton
- Ozone
- Roxy
Marijuana
Marijuana’s dried cannabis leaves are rolled into paper and the “joint” smoked. Users may smoke marijuana on its own, or they may ingest other drugs the leaves have been “laced” with.
Marijuana is an illicit drug having the most common use in the country. This drug is available in its natural form, as well as synthetic marijuana. Street names for marijuana include:
- 420
- Ashes
- Atshitshi
- Aunt Mary
- Bammy
- Baby Bhang
- Blanket
- Blunt
- Bo-Bo
- Bobo Bush
- Bomber
- Boom
- Bud
- Broccoli
- Cheeba
- Chronic
- Cripple
- Dagga
- Dope
- Dinkie Dow
- Ding
- Dona Juana
- Dona Juanita
- Flower
- Flower Power
- Flower Tops
- Ganja
- Gasper
- Giggle Smoke
- Grass
- Green
- Hash
- Herb
- Hot Stick
- Jane
- Jay
- Jolly Green
- Jolly Green Giant
- Joy Smoke
- Joy Stick
- MJ
- Mary Jane
- Maryjane
- Oregano
- Pot
- Roach
- Reefer
- Skunk
- Smoke
- Trees
- Weed
General Symptoms of Addiction
In addition to knowing the drug slang, it’s also important to be aware of the signs of a developing addiction needing treatment. A person can exhibit one or many of the following:
- Generally argumentative with friends and family members
- Very defensive when questioned about their activities
- Exhibiting secretive behavior, including withdrawing from loved ones and once-enjoyed activities
- Spending increasing amounts of time withdrawn from loved ones
- Spending time with a new group of people
- Experiencing financial trouble
- Experiencing problems a work or school
- Getting lower grades
If you’re concerned that your loved one is developing a drug or alcohol addiction, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. Adelante Recovery Center offers holistic and effective addiction and mental health treatment that’s customized to the individual. To speak with a specialist, call (949) 427-9099.