Illicit drug use and misuse of prescription medications are often shrouded in coded language. Recognizing these slang words and phrases can help you identify possible substance use and intervene before it evolves into addiction.
Teenagers, in particular, may use street names or obscure references to avoid trouble at home and school. If you hear your teen employing any of these terms, it could be an indication of drug use. Early awareness is vital so you can act before occasional experimentation turns into a more serious issue.
Drug Slang by Category
Street vocabulary can be inspired by factors like a substance’s appearance, cultural references, its effects, or a variation of its official name. Many drugs fall within larger categories, and while some classifications have their own slang, in other cases the terms only apply to individual drugs.
Depressants
Common examples: Alcohol, barbiturates, Valium, Xanax, and other benzodiazepines
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Nicknames for depressants (either the class as a whole or specific drugs) may include:
- Barbs
- Benzos
- Blue angels
- Downers
- Goofers
- Nemmies
- Quads
- Rainbows
- Reds
- Stoppers
Stimulants
Common examples: Cocaine, methamphetamine, Adderall, and MDMA
Names typically apply to the drugs themselves, although you may see “uppers” used for stimulants in general.
Opioids
Common examples: Fentanyl, heroin, morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and opium
While the terms “opioids” and “opiates” do not often have collective slang, each drug may have its own set of alternative names.
Hallucinogens
Common examples: LSD, peyote, salvia, dextromethorphan (DXM), and PCP
The street names for these substances almost always refer to the specific drug, rather than the category as a whole.
Inhalants
Common examples: Nitrous oxide, gasoline, glue, and various aerosol products
Inhalants, both as a group and as individual substances, carry several nicknames:
- Aimies
- Air Blast
- Bold
- Discorama
- Duster
- Glad
- Hippie Crack
- Huff
- Laughing Gas
- Moon Gas
- Nitrous
- Oz
- Poor Man’s Pot
- Poppers
- Rush
- Snappers
- Whippets
- Whiteout
Common Drug Slang Terms
The list below is not exhaustive—street language constantly changes as new terms appear or old ones fade. Some words also overlap in meaning, referencing multiple drugs. Still, these are some of the most widespread slang names you might encounter today.
Cannabis (Marijuana)
- Dank
- Mary Jane
- Reefer
- Pot
- Weed
- Bud
- Ganja
- Herb
- Trees
- Chronic
Cannabis Concentrates
- 246
- BHO
- Badder
- Budder
- Butter
- Dabs
- Ear Wax
- Errl
- Honey Oil
- SAP
- Shatter
- Wax
Heroin
- Dragon
- H
- White Lady
- Scag
- Brown Sugar
- Smack
- Junk
- Snowball
- Dope
- Horse
Xanax
- Bars
- Benzos
- Bicycle Parts
- Blue Footballs
- Bricks
- Footballs
- Handlebars
- Ladders
- Planks
- School Bus
- Totem Poles
- Upjohn
- White Boys
- White Girls
- Xanbars
- Xannies
- Xs
- Yellow Boys
- Z-Bars
- Zanbars
- Zannies
- Zans
Cocaine
- Coke
- Bump
- Snow
- Dust
- Powder
- White
- Blow
- Rail
- Stash
- Pearl
Crack
- Candy
- Rocks
- Nuggets
- Hail
- Sleet
- Tornado
- Ball
- Base
- Apple jacks
- Dice
Suboxone
- Big Whites
- Bupes
- Boxes
- Oranges
- Saboxins
- Sobos
- Stops/stop signs
- Subs
Methadone
- Dollies
- Done
- Phy
- Fizzies
- Juice
- Jungle juice
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Maria
- Metho
- Pastora
Oxycodone (OxyContin)
- Hillbilly heroin
- Blues
- Kickers
- Oxy
- 512s
- OC
- Cotton
- Beans
Percocet
- Percs
- Paulas
- Roxicotten
- Roxies
- 512s
- Blue dynamite
Hydrocodone
- Hydros
- Norco
- Tabs
- Watsons
- Loris
- 357s
- Dro
- Bananas
- Fluff
Vicodin
- 357s
- Fluff
- Hydros
- Idiot Pills
- Lorris
- Norco
- Scratch
- Tabs
- Vees
- Vic
- Vicos
- Vikes
- Vitamin V
- Watsons
Methamphetamine
- Crank
- Tweek
- Speed
- Tina
- Crystal
- Ice
- Glass
- Go Fast
Adderall
- Dexies
- Pep Pills
- Speed
- Christmas trees
- Beans
- Black beauties
Codeine
- Schoolboy
- Cody
- Captain Cody
Cough Medicine (DXM)
- Dexies
- Drank
- Purple Drank
- Sizzurp
- Drex
- DXM
- Orange Crush
- Poor Man’s X/Ecstasy
- Red Devils
- Robo
- Robo tripping
- Rojo
- Triple C
- Tussin
- Velvet
- Vitamin D
Alcohol
- Sauce
- Juice
- Hard stuff
- Hooch
- Suds
- Liquid courage
- Booze
Fentanyl
- Apache
- China white
- Goodfella
- TNT
- Tango
- Jackpot
- Murder 8
Morphine
- Dreamer
- God’s drug
- M
- Miss Emma
- Mister Blue
- Morf
- Morpho
LSD
- Acid
- Doss
- Blotter
- Superman
- Tab
- Zen
- Pane
- Lucy
- Golden dragon
MDMA and Ecstasy
- X
- E
- Adam
- Candy
- Molly
- Skittles
- Beans
Ketamine
- Cat Valium
- Green K
- Honey Oil
- Jet
- K
- K-hole
- Ket
- Kit Kat
- Purple
- Special K
- Special La Coke
- Super Acid
- Super C
- Vitamin K
Valium
- Vs
- Foofoo
- Sleep away
- Tranks
- Vallies
PCP
- Angel Dust
- Embalming Fluid
- Hog
- Love Boat
- Magic Dust
- Ozone
- Peter Pan
- Rocket Fuel
- Superweed
- Wack
- Wet (referring to a marijuana joint dipped in PCP)
Bath Salts
- Bloom
- Cloud Nine
- Flakka
- Scarface
- Vanilla Sky
- Stardust
Mescaline
- Big Chief
- Blue Caps
- Buttons
- Cactus
- Media Luna
- Mescal
- Mezcakuba
- Moon
- San Pedro
- Topi
Opium
- Aunti
- Aunt Emma
- Big O
- Black
- Black Russian (opium mixed with hashish)
- Chandoo
- China
- Chinese Molasses
- Chinese Tobacco
- Chocolate
- Cruz
- Dopium
- Dover’s Powder
- Dream Gum
- Dream Stick
- Dreams
- Easing Powder
- God’s Medicine
- Goma
- Gondola
- Goric
- Great Tobacco
- Gum
- Hocus
- Hops
- Incense
- Joy Plant
- Midnight Oil
- Opio
- Pen Yan
- Pin Gon
- Pin Yen
- Pox
- Skee
- Toxy
- Toys
- When-Shee
- Zero
Ritalin
- Diet Coke
- Kibbles and Bits
- Kiddie Cocaine/Coke
- Pineapple
- Poor Man’s Cocaine
- R-ball
- Rids
- Rit
- Skippy
- Skittles
- Smarties
- Vitamin R
Slang for Drug Combinations
Some slang describes mixtures of two or more substances into one product. Examples include:
- A-bomb: Marijuana and heroin
- Cocoa Puffs: Marijuana and cocaine
- 8-ball: Crack and heroin
- Candyflip: LSD and MDMA
- 3M: Mescaline, mushrooms, and Molly
- Purple drank: Codeine and promethazine
- Super X: Methamphetamine and MDMA
- Octane: PCP and gasoline
- Bars: Heroin and Xanax
Why Understanding Drug Slang Matters
Regardless of the code words used, the intent is to obscure the drug’s identity and hide misuse from those who aren’t aware. Whether you need to understand a loved one’s possible use or confirm that you’re receiving a prescribed medication (and nothing else), it’s essential to stay informed about these shifting terms. More importantly, knowing the language around substances can help you recognize when it’s time to seek professional treatment. For additional guidance on these slang expressions, you can consult resources like the DEA’s comprehensive compilation of drug-related terminology.
Finding Help for Substance Use
If you or someone close to you is ready to address substance abuse, don’t wait to get support. At The Recovery Village Palm Beach at Baptist Health, we offer evidence-based care in a compassionate environment to help individuals break free from the cycle of addiction. Reach out to us today to learn more about our programs and take the first step toward a healthier future.
