As parents of teenagers, we often feel that we speak a different language than our children. As much as we try to keep the conversation open and honest, we’ll see a very different part of our children emerge when they speak to their friends and peers. While you don’t want to dissect everything unusual that your teen says, you do want to be aware of some of the common street terms that teens and young adults use to describe drugs and drug use.

Taking the Initiative to Learn About the Drug Culture.

When speaking with the families of drug addicts at The River Source, we find that many parents heard their teens using certain terms when speaking to their friends. Many wish they had been more familiar with these street terms, allowing them to intervene sooner. The best defense is knowledge, so make sure you are familiar with the terms kids are using when speaking of drug use.

It’s important to note that the street names for drugs change often, so parents need to keep an open ear for suspicious terms that may actually indicate drug use. Sometimes, these terms are so subtle; you may mistake them for what your child ate for breakfast or the names of students in your child’s class. Not only do teens use these terms, but adults too.

Counselors at The River Source have met with adults who have used street terms to hide their habit from their spouses or coworkers. As people age, the more embarrassed and secretive they become about their drug habit and maybe even more likely to use hidden terms to discuss their drug habits with others.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy compiled a list of over 2,300 official drug street names. The list is designed to provide more information to parents, treatment centers and police officers who are interested in learning about the current drug culture. Below are examples from the list that we at The River Source believe to be most useful:

Drug Habit Terms

• Pharming: “Going Pharming” or “pharm parties” are popular in today’s drug culture and consist of teens going to parties where all types of prescription drugs are mixed together. You reach into a bowl or bag, pull out a handful of pills and take them all at once.
• Skittles Parties: These parties are the same as pharm parties. The name comes from the brightly colored pills that are the basis for the party.
• Happy Stick: Combination of marijuana and PCP
• Pepsi Habit/Ice Cream Habit: Occasional drug use habit
• Old Navy: Heroin
• Biscuit: 50 rocks of crack
• Nickelonians: Crack addict
• Lemonade: Poor quality heroin
• Lipton Tea: Poor quality drugs
• Strawberry Quik: Strawberry-flavored methamphetamine
• Candy Sticks: Sticks of marijuana with traces of cocaine
• Kiddie Dope: Prescription Drugs
• Mighty White: Pure, white and hard form of cocaine
• Chasing the Tiger: To smoke heroin
• Woola Blunt: Combination of marijuana and heroin
• Panic: No drugs available
• Cabbage Head: Someone who will abuse any type of drug

Street Names for Drugs

• Marijuana: Pot, Reefer, Grass, Dope, Weed, Ganja, Mary Jane
• Mushrooms: Magic Mushrooms, Shrooms
• Cocaine: Coke, Snow, Nose Candy, Flake, Blow, Big C., Lady White, Powder
• Amphetamines: Speed, Uppers, Black Beauties, Hearts, Footballs, Pep Pills
• Methamphetamines: Crank, Crystal Methadrine, Speed, Hugs & Kisses
• Heroin: Smack, Horse, Mud, Brown Sugar, Black Tar
• Opium: Dover’s Powder
• Nitrous Oxide: Laughing Gas, Whippets
• Steroids: Gym Candy

If you suspect that someone in your family is abusing drugs, you don’t have to play detective to uncover the truth. Call The River Source at 866-294-9331 and speak to one of our staff members who can help answer your difficult questions.