What’s in a Name: Street Names for 21 Commonly Abused Drugs

What are “Street Names” for Drugs?

Updated August 12th, 2025

Street names are slang terms that are used to refer to certain drugs. These names might be used by dealers or drug users to conceal the true meanings of discussions or deals involving drug sales, production, or abuse. Although the slang terms used to refer to different drugs are constantly changing, they are typically derived from the appearance of the drug, the effects it provides, and the people that usually use them.

If you think a loved may be dealing or abusing drugs, it’s important to know the street names for some of the most commonly abused drugs. It may also be useful in confronting your loved one about his or her drug abuse, so you can help them seek effective treatment.

Street Names for Alcohol

Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in the United States. It is a depressant that appears is used in many types of beverages and foods. Although there is no medicinal purpose for alcohol, it is used recreationally by many Americans and is often not even considered a drug. Street names for alcohol are:

• Booze
• Hooch
• Juice
• Sauce

Emerging or Teen-Focused Slang for Alcohol

• Teens and young adults may creatively refer to alcohol using slang such as “juice,” “sherbert,” “sips,” or “party punch.” These terms often appear in casual or digital conversations to disguise references to drinking.
• Fun and playful drink-related terms include “giggle juice,” “liquid courage,” “cold one,” and “nightcap,” which may be used to make alcohol sound more benign or colorful.

Slang for Intoxicating or Altered Drinking States

• While not new, terms like “lit,” “turnt,” “wasted,” “sloshed,” “sauced,” “tipsy,” and “buzzed” remain widely used to describe levels of intoxication among teens and young adults.

Regional or Niche Alcohol Terms

• “Plonk” continues to describe cheap wine, and terms like “goon” (boxed wine) and “Château Cardboard” remain in use within British, Australian, and Canadian slang contexts.
• In parts of the U.S., particularly the Bay Area, “Cutty Bang” refers to a convenient packaged mixed alcoholic drink—usually sold in a bag with multiple small bottles, mixers, and ice

Common Alcohol Emojis

• 🍺 Beer Mug – Standard beer reference.
• 🍻 Clinking Beer Mugs – Drinking with friends, social drinking.
• 🍷 Wine Glass – Wine, often used for casual or classy drinking.
• 🍸 Cocktail Glass – Martini or mixed drink.
• 🍹 Tropical Drink – Fruity cocktails, vacation vibes.
• 🥂 Clinking Glasses – Celebrations involving alcohol.
• 🥃 Tumbler Glass – Whiskey, scotch, bourbon.
• 🍶 Sake Bottle and Cup – Japanese rice wine or other specialty drinks.

Coded or Playful Alcohol Emojis

• 🥴 Woozy Face – Feeling tipsy or drunk.
• 😵 Dizzy Face / 😵‍💫 Face with Spiral Eyes – Very drunk, disoriented.
• 💃🕺 – Partying, often implying alcohol use.
• 🥳 Partying Face – Celebration with drinking implied.
• 🚫🍺 – No drinking / sober living reference.

Combination Codes

• 🍷🍷🍷 – “Wine night” or heavy drinking.
• 🍺🥴 – Beer leading to intoxication.
• 🥂🎉 – Toasting at a celebration.
• 🍹🌴 – Vacation drinking.

Street Names for Common Illegal Drugs

Cocaine Street Names

Cocaine is a stimulant that is made from the leaves of the coca plant, which is native to South America. It is classified by the DEA as a Schedule II drug and has a’ high potential for abuse. Cocaine is highly addictive, and its effects are felt very quickly and wear off shortly after. Because of this, addicts usually binge on the drug, foregoing basic necessities like food and sleep. Slang terms for cocaine include:

• Coke
• C
• Snow
• Powder
• Blow
• Rock
• Crack

Emerging Street Names and Coded References

• Pink Cocaine (“tusi” or “tucibi”)
  A rising synthetic party drug, especially among Gen Z and Colombians, dialed in with aesthetics (bright pink color) and variable composition. Often contains MDMA, ketamine, meth, DMT, oxycodone, and sometimes fentanyl—making it particularly dangerous.
• Gray Death
  A slang for powerful fentanyl-laced opioid mixtures—containing fentanyl analogs, heroin, and even carfentanil or U‑47700—known for extreme lethality and overdose risk.
• Kush (West Africa)
  Not to be confused with cannabis, this is a highly dangerous synthetic blend of cannabinoids and nitazene-class opioids. Linked to “zombie-like” states in users and widespread psychiatric admissions in Sierra Leone.
• Xylazine (“tranq,” “tranq dope,” “zombie drug,” “anestesia de caballo”)
  A veterinary tranquilizer increasingly mixed into fentanyl in the U.S., causing severe wounds, challenging withdrawal, and unusual overdose risks.
• Whoonga (also known as “nyaope” or “wonga”)
  A dangerous heroin cocktail street name in South Africa. It often contains antiretrovirals (like HIV meds), other additives, and is ingested via smoking or mixing with cannabis.

Emoji-Based Drug Codes

While these aren’t new names per se, drug dealers—and youth—are increasingly using emojis as secretive codes for illicit substances on social media. Examples:

• Snowflake or snowman typically denotes cocaine
• Crystal ball stands in for methamphetamine

These emoji codes are designed to mask drug references in plain sight.

Heroin Street Names

Heroin is a depressant and a Schedule 1 drug, which means it has a very high potential for abuse. A highly addictive drug, heroin is made from morphine, which is found in the seed pod of the opium poppy plant. The effects of heroin are felt very quickly, and users often abuse it with other drugs and alcohol, which severely increases their risk of overdose. Street names for heroin are:

• Big H
• Horse
• Hell dust
• Junk
• Smack
• Brown sugar

Emerging Heroin Slang to Watch For

• “Fly” and “Man Down” — These terms are used in Scotland to refer to heroin that has been mixed with highly potent synthetic opioids (notably fentanyl and nitazenes). These mixtures are known for causing instant overdoses and blackouts.
• “Gray Death” — A deadly slang term for ultra-strong opioid mixtures involving heroin, fentanyl analogues, carfentanil, and U‑47700. This mixture is highly lethal and has been known to require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse overdoses.
• “Whoonga” / “Nyaope” / “Wonga” — Widely used in South Africa, these terms refer to a heroin-based street drug. It is often consumed via smoking or mixed with cannabis.
• “Homebake” — Common in Australia and New Zealand, this term denotes a homemade opioid mixture created from codeine or morphine when heroin itself is scarce.

Common Emojis for Heroin

• 🐉 Dragon – “Chasing the dragon,” slang for smoking heroin on foil.
• 💉 Syringe – Indicates injection drug use (often heroin).
• 🟤 Brown Circle – Refers to brown powder heroin.
• 🟡 Yellow Circle – Sometimes used for “China White” (white heroin variant).
• 🍫 Chocolate Bar or 🍂 Leaf – Slang for brown/tar heroin (“brown,” “chocolate,” “leaf”).
• 🚬 Cigarette or 🔥 Fire – Indicates smoking heroin or “good quality.”
• 🌙 Crescent Moon – Sometimes used to represent nighttime drug use or nodding off.

Contextual or Combination Emojis

Dealers and users sometimes combine emojis to make the meaning less obvious:

• 🐉💨 – “Chasing the dragon” (smoking heroin).
• 💉🟤 – Injecting brown heroin.
• 🛌🌙 – “Nodding off” after heroin use.

K2/Spice Street Names

K2 (synthetic marijuana) is a plant material mixture that has been sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids that are supposed to mimic the effects of THC. It is often marketed as a “safe” and “legal” high, but synthetic marijuana is often more dangerous, as it is made in clandestine laboratories and the ingredients are unregulated. Since the ingredients of K2 are often unknown, users don’t always know what they are ingesting or the physical and psychological effects it may cause. Common street names for synthetic marijuana are:

• K2
• Black Mamba
• Legal Weed
• Genie
• Scooby Snax
• Bliss
• Blaze

Emerging Street Names for K2 / Spice (Synthetic Cannabinoids)

• Bliss, Blaze, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Moon Rocks — These terms have appeared in regional reports and enforcement literature as newer slang alternatives for synthetic cannabinoids, adding to more established terms like “Spice” and “K2.”
• Bombay Blue, Black Mamba, Genie, Zohai, Bling Blang Monkey — Commonly found in product branding, reflecting how these synthetics are marketed.
• Additional names such as Matrix, Cloud 9, Scooby Snax, OMG, Phantom, Red/Blue/Yellow Giant, Kisha Cole, and Releaf also persist across various contexts, especially in retail and illicit markets.

Common Emojis for K2 / Spice

• 🌿 Herb / Leafy Green – Generic plant emoji used for anything “weed-like,” including synthetic cannabinoids.
• 🍃 Leaf Fluttering in Wind – Often stands in for marijuana but can also mean Spice/K2 in coded conversations.
• 🚬 Cigarette – Indicates smoking, can mean either tobacco, cannabis, or synthetic cannabinoids.
• 🌀 Cyclone / Swirl – Sometimes used to suggest “mind-twisting” or intense synthetic high.
• 🧪 Test Tube or ⚗️ Alembic – Refers to the chemical/synthetic nature of the drug.
• 🌌 Milky Way or ✨ Sparkles – Used to indicate hallucinations or altered states.
• 💨 Puff of Air – Symbolizes smoke or inhalation.

Combination Codes

Dealers sometimes combine emojis to make references less obvious:

• 🌿💨 – Smoking a plant-like substance (could mean marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids).
• 🍃🧪 – “Chemically treated weed” (synthetic).
• 🚬🌌 – Smoking something that causes hallucinations.

Marijuana Street Names

Marijuana is plant material that comes from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis Indica plant. It contains a chemical called THC, which causes a euphoric high in the user. Marijuana is a difficult drug to classify, as it has qualities of a hallucinogen, depressant, and stimulant. It can calm the nerves, relax the muscles, produce hallucinations, elevate mood, increase heart rate, and cause paranoia. Currently, it is legal in some states, but illegal in others. It is still classified as an illegal drug under federal law. Common marijuana street names are:

• Weed
• Pot
• Grass
• Mary Jane
• Reefer
• Blaze
• Dope

Trending and Emerging Cannabis Slang

• Zaza — Refers to premium, exotic cannabis. Often dubbed the “champagne of cannabis,” it’s a Gen Z favorite widely used across social media and music contexts.
• Gas — Potent weed with a pungent aroma; usually indicates high THC content.
• Loud — Describes cannabis so potent it announces itself with its strong smell.
• Tree (or Trees) — Modern slang for marijuana, popular with younger users.
• Pack & Pressure — Used by Gen Z to indicate high-quality or potent cannabis.
• Sparks — A newer term referring to the exact moment a joint is or will be lit.

Common Marijuana Emojis

• 🌿 Herb / Leafy Green – Generic plant emoji often used for marijuana.
• 🍃 Leaf Fluttering in Wind – Another popular stand-in for cannabis.
• 🍁 Maple Leaf – Used as a cannabis leaf substitute in code.
• 🌱 Seedling – Indicates a marijuana plant in cultivation.
• 🚬 Cigarette – Can mean smoking cannabis, not just tobacco.
• 💨 Puff of Air – Represents smoke or inhalation.
• 🔥 Fire – Means “good quality” or “potent” weed (“fire weed”).
• 😶‍🌫️ Face in Clouds – Indicates being high or “stoned.”

Combination Codes

People often string emojis together to hide meaning:

• 🍃💨 – Smoking marijuana.
• 🌿🔥 – “Good weed” or potent strain.
• 🍁🚬 – Smoking cannabis.
• 🌱➡️🍃 – Growing and then using marijuana.

Slang + Emoji Pairings for Newer Terms

• Zaza = 🌿💎🔥 (“premium fire weed”)
• Gas = ⛽🌿 (“gas” for strong weed)
• Loud = 🔊🌿 (“loud” for strong smell)
• Tree(s) = 🌳🍃 (“trees” for marijuana)

Methamphetamine Street Names

Methamphetamine is a very strong stimulant drug that provides a quick and short high. It overwhelms the brain by flooding it with dopamine and creating very strong feelings of euphoria in the user. Methamphetamine is highly addictive, and users typically develop a tolerance very quickly, causing them to use more and more of the drug to achieve the same high. Street names for methamphetamine include:

• Speed
• Meth
• Chalk
• Crystal
• Ice
• Glass
• Fire
• Go Fast
• Crank

Emerging Meth Slang Terms (2025)

• Speed
• Tweak
• Go Fast
• No Doze
• Rocket Fuel
• Cookies
• Cotton Candy
• Scooby Snax
• White Cross

Appearance-based terms describing its form or visuals:

• Chalk
• Glass
• Blue (inspired by popular media)
• Ice
• Shards

Meth-related actions or states (how users talk about being high):

• Getting geared up
• Chicken flipping
• Hot rolling
• Getting fried (or foiled)
• Tweaking
• Zooming
• Getting scattered or spun out

Common Meth Emojis

• 💎 Gem Stone – Represents crystal meth (“crystal”).
• ❄️ Snowflake – Sometimes used for any white powdered drug, but also for meth shards.
• 🍬 Candy or 🍭 Lollipop – Refers to meth nicknames like “cotton candy” or “cookies.”
• 🧪 Test Tube or ⚗️ Alembic – Indicates synthetic/chemical drugs.
• 🔹 Small Blue Diamond – Refers to “blue” crystal meth (pop culture reference).
• 💊 Pill – General drug reference, sometimes paired with meth slang.
• 🔥 Fire – Used to indicate high-quality or potent meth (“fire meth”).
• 🪞 Mirror – Refers to drug preparation on glass or mirrors.

Combination Codes

Dealers and users often combine emojis to hide meaning:

• 💎❄️ – Crystal meth shards.
• 💎🔥 – High-quality meth (“fire crystal”).
• 🍬💎 – Meth with slang “candy” reference.
• 🧪💎 – Synthetic crystal meth.

LSD Street Names

LSD is a commonly abused hallucinogen drug that produces powerful hallucinations and intense sensory experiences and feelings. Although quitting LSD suddenly doesn’t typically cause any withdrawal effects, people can still become addicted to it with consistent abuse. People may also become tolerant to it and begin taking larger, more frequent doses to achieve the same effects. Street names for LSD are:

• Acid
• Dots
• Yellow Sunshine
• Blotter
• Animal
• 100s
• 25s
• Big D

Emerging or Trendy Slang for LSD

• Lucy Mae – A personalized take on “Lucy,” highlighting familiarity or affection for the drug.
• Boomers – A playful street term that remains in use.
• Zen – Suggests a calm, transcendent experience associated with LSD.
• Mellow Yellow – A classic slang term still circulating, evoking the drug’s mellow yet hallucinogenic effects.
• Battery Acid – A vivid, intense term evoking the drug’s strong sensory effects.
• Window Pane – Describes LSD’s foil-like blotter form.

Common LSD Emojis

• 🎨 Artist Palette – Represents colorful, visual distortions.
• 🌈 Rainbow – Symbolizes psychedelic trips and hallucinations.
• 👁️ Eye – Suggests altered perception or “opening the mind.”
• ✨ Sparkles – Represents sensory enhancement or euphoric visuals.
• 🌀 Cyclone / Spiral – Indicates “trippy” visuals or spinning patterns.
• 💠 Diamond Shape with a Dot – Can reference blotter tabs.
• 🎭 Performing Arts Masks – Symbolizes shifting emotions and perceptions.
• 🐇 Rabbit – Refers to “down the rabbit hole” (Alice in Wonderland reference).

Combination Codes

Dealers and users sometimes combine emojis for LSD references:

• 🌈🌀 – Psychedelic trip.
• 👁️✨ – Seeing enhanced visuals.
• 🎨🌈🌀 – Artistic or colorful LSD experience.
• 💠🌈 – Blotter tabs and trippy visuals.

MDMA Street Names

MDMA (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a hallucinogen and a stimulant that increases a person’s energy, emotional closeness, and feelings of euphoria. A synthetic drug, MDMA used to be frequently abused at parties, clubs, and raves, but today, drug users of all populations use it. Many users combine MDMA with alcohol and other drugs like LSD or marijuana, which severely increases the person’s risk of overdosing. Common street names for MDMA include:

• Ecstasy
• Molly
• E
• Love Drug
• Eve
• Lover’s Speed
• Go
• XTC
• Adam
• Beans
• Peace

Emerging or Trendy MDMA Street Names (as of late 2024–2025)

• Blue Kisses, Yellow Hearts, Red Devils — Modern slang inspired by colorful pill designs and packaging
• Pure Molly — Used specifically for MDMA in its powder form, signaling perceived purity.
• Mitsubishis, Rolls Royce — Pop-culture-tinged naming that adds a sense of exclusivity or luxury.
• Malcolm (or Malcolm X) — A newer variant of “Molly,” presumably for branding or distinction

Common MDMA Emojis

• 💊 Pill – Represents tablets or capsules, especially colorful ones.
• 🍬 Candy or 🍭 Lollipop – Refers to slang like “candy,” “sweeties,” or “candy flipping.”
• ✨ Sparkles – Indicates euphoria, “rolling,” or sensory enhancement.
• 🌈 Rainbow – Suggests colorful pills or a psychedelic vibe.
• 🎉 Party Popper or 🎶 Musical Notes – Associated with raves, clubs, and festivals where MDMA is common.
• 💜 Purple Heart – Common in branding for MDMA pills; color can vary (💙💛).
• 😍 Heart Eyes – Suggests feelings of love or emotional openness.

Combination Codes

Dealers and users often combine emojis to mask the meaning:

• 💊✨🎶 – MDMA use at a party/rave.
• 🍬💊💜 – “Candy” or colorful ecstasy pill.
• 💊🌈✨ – Colorful pills with euphoric effects.
• 💜🎉💊 – “Purple Heart” MDMA at a party.

Street Names for Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers

Morphine

Morphine is an opiate painkiller, also known as a narcotic. It’s only legally available with a prescription and it’s typically used to treat moderate to severe pain. In some cases, people will take morphine under the supervision of a doctor, but gradually become addicted to the euphoric effects it provides. As a result, they will take larger, more frequent doses of the drug, which can cause harmful physical effects, like problems breathing, confusion, drowsiness, hallucinations, coma, or even death. Street names for morphine include:

• Mister Blue
• Dreamer
• Morf

Common and Emerging Morphine Slang

• Dreamer — Expresses the sedative, dreamlike effects of the drug.
• God’s Drug — Highlights its potent pain-relieving and euphoric effects.
• M — A short, easily concealed reference.
• Miss Emma — A euphemistic or persona-based slang.
• Mister Blue — A more coded or indirect term.
• Monkey — An informal nickname.
• Morf / Morpho — Slang adaptations of the drug’s name.
• White Stuff — Emphasizes its common white pill or powder form.
• Unkie — A less typical but recognized slang.
• Vitamin M — A somewhat ironic term implying reliance.

Common Morphine Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General reference to prescription medications or opioids.
• 💉 Syringe – Indicates injection use (though morphine is often taken orally, some misuse it via injection).
• ⚪ White Circle – Represents white tablets or powder (“white stuff”).
• 😴 Sleeping Face – Implies sedation or drowsiness from morphine.
• 🌙 Crescent Moon – Suggests nighttime use or nodding off.
• ✨ Sparkles – Can mean euphoric effect (“dreamy” feeling).
• 🐵 Monkey – From the slang term “monkey” for morphine.

Combination Codes

Users and dealers sometimes combine emojis to disguise meaning:

• 💊⚪ – White pill form of morphine.
• 💉⚪ – Injecting morphine.
• 😴🌙 – Sedation or nodding off.
• 🐵💊 – Slang “monkey” morphine reference.
• 💊✨ – Euphoric pill effect.

Fentanyl Street Names

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic drug and an opioid that binds to opioid receptors in the brain, increasing dopamine levels. It is available legally with a prescription and is used medicinally to relieve severe pain. When used recreationally, even a tiny amount can be deadly. Illicit fentanyl is produced in clandestine laboratories and sold in powder and tablet form or mixed with other drugs like heroin. Street names for fentanyl are:

• China White
• China Girl
• Apache
• Tango
• Cash
• Dance Fever
• Goodfella

New & Trending Fentanyl Street Names (2025)

• Blue Diamond — Refers to blue-colored fentanyl.
• Gray Stuff — Denotes gray-colored fentanyl.
• King Ivory — Describes ivory-colored fentanyl.

Common Fentanyl Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General opioid or prescription pill reference.
• 🔵 Blue Circle – Refers to “blues” (blue M30 pills, common fentanyl form).
• ⚪ White Circle – White fentanyl pills or powder.
• 💀 Skull / ☠️ Skull & Crossbones – Emphasizes potency, overdose danger.
• ❄️ Snowflake – White powder form, sometimes linked to fentanyl-laced drugs.
• 🐼 Panda – Used in some online markets for counterfeit pills.
• 🐉 Dragon – Sometimes tied to slang like “China White.”
• 🎯 Target – Symbolizing a “direct hit” or potent batch.

Combination Codes

Dealers often pair emojis to disguise fentanyl talk:

• 💊🔵 – Blue M30 fentanyl pill.
• ⚪💊💀 – White fentanyl pill with overdose risk.
• 💊❄️ – Pill containing fentanyl in powder form.
• 🔵💀 – Potent blue pill, danger implied.

Codeine Street Names

Codeine is a prescription opioid drug that is used to treat chronic cough, diarrhea, and pain. It can be prescribed by a doctor, but it is also available in many over-the-counter drugs in combination with aspirin, ibuprofen, and other drugs. People often abuse it recreationally by combining it with soda and hard candy to create a beverage called “Purple Drank” or “Lean.” Codeine is viewed as a gateway drug to other, more harmful substances, such as heroin or morphine. Street names for codeine are:

• Cody
• Schoolboy
• Sizzurp
• Syrup
• Purple Drank
• Dirty Sprite
• Lean
• Coties
• Cough syrup
• T-three’s

Fresh & Emerging Slang for Codeine

• Captain Cody, Cody, Schoolboy — Playful variations on the drug’s name.
• Lean, Purple Drank, Sizzurp — Slang for codeine-based cough syrup mixed with soft drink; commonly referenced in music and youth culture.
• Doors & Fours, Pancakes & Syrup, Loads — Used specifically for combinations of codeine with glutethimide.
• Robo, Tussing, Tussin, Vitamin D — Newer terms for Robitussin containing codeine and guaifenesin.
• T-3s, T-4s — Denote different strengths of Tylenol with codeine (acetaminophen/codeine combos).

Common Codeine Emojis

• 🥤 Cup with Straw – Represents Lean/Purple Drank.
• 🍇 Grapes – For grape-flavored soda mixed with codeine syrup.
• 💜 Purple Heart – Refers to the purple color of many codeine cough syrups.
• 🥃 Tumbler Glass – Implies a mixed drink with codeine syrup.
• 🍼 Baby Bottle – Symbolizes sipping codeine syrup from a bottle.
• 💊 Pill – General reference to codeine in tablet form.
• 💤 Sleeping Symbol – Refers to the sedative effect of codeine.

Combination Codes

• 🥤🍇💜 – Grape-flavored Purple Drank.
• 🍼💜🥤 – “Sippin’ syrup” from a bottle.
• 💊💤 – Codeine pill causing sedation.
• 🥃💜 – Purple Drank in a glass.

Oxycodone Street Names

Oxycodone is a prescription painkiller and an opioid that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is sold under the brand names OxyContin and Percocet, among others. Oxycodone is a common drug of abuse and people who use it recreationally typically crush the pills, chew them, or dissolve them in water and then inject the solution. Common street names for oxycodone are:

• Oxy
• O
• OC
• Ox
• Blue
• Killers
• Hillbilly heroin
• Kickers

Emerging / Recent Slang Terms

• 30s, 40s — References to pill dosage strengths, commonly OxyContin.
• 512s — Another numeric code used for oxycodone pills.
• Beans — Slang drawn from “benzé” or used generically.
• Blues, Buttons — Reflect pill appearance or color.
• Greens — Based on green pills, often oxycodone variants.
• Kickers, Killers — Imply potency or intense effect.
• Muchachas, Mujeres — Spanish slang meaning “girls,” used discreetly.
• Roxy, Roxy Shorts — Shortened name derived from Roxicodone.
• Whites — Refers to white-colored oxycodone pills.

Common Oxycodone Emojis

• 💊 Pill – Generic opioid/tablet symbol.
• 🔵 Blue Circle – Refers to “blues” (blue M30 oxycodone pills).
• ⚪ White Circle – Represents white oxycodone tablets.
• 💀 Skull / ☠️ Skull & Crossbones – Indicates potency or overdose danger.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative/drowsy effect.
• 🥤 Cup with Straw – Sometimes used for liquid formulations (oxycodone syrup).

Combination Codes

• 💊🔵 – Blue oxycodone pill (often M30).
• ⚪💊 – White oxycodone tablet.
• 💊💀 – Potent/dangerous oxycodone.
• 🔵💀 – “Blue” pill with overdose risk.
• 💊😴 – Oxycodone causing sedation.

Oxymorphone Street Names

Oxymorphone is an opioid painkiller and a narcotic. It’s a Schedule II prescription drug, which means it has a high potential for abuse. When abused recreationally, oxymorphone produces a powerful high, which makes the drug highly addictive. It used to be sold under the brand name Opana, but the FDA asked the manufacturer to stop selling it in the U.S. because it was so widely abused in a society where opioid addiction is rampant. Common street names for oxymorphone are:

• Blue Heaven
• Blues
• O
• Biscuits
• New Blues
• Pink Heaven
• Pink Lady
• Pink O
• Stop Signs
• The O Bomb
• Octagons
• Stop signs

Emerging and Current Slang

• Biscuits
• Blue Heaven
• Blues
• Mrs. O

Common Oxymorphone Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General opioid or prescription tablet reference.
• 🔵 Blue Circle – Represents blue oxymorphone pills (“Blues,” “Blue Heaven”).
• ⚪ White Circle – White tablet variants.
• 💀 Skull / ☠️ Skull & Crossbones – Potency or overdose risk.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative or nodding-off effect.
• 🍪 Cookie – Possible visual tie-in to the slang name “Biscuits.”

Combination Codes

• 💊🔵 – Blue oxymorphone tablet (“Blue Heaven,” “Blues”).
• ⚪💊 – White oxymorphone pill.
• 💊💀 – Strong/dangerous oxymorphone.
• 🔵💀 – Potent blue pill with overdose risk.
• 🍪💊 – Slang “Biscuits” reference for oxymorphone.

Hydrocodone Street Names

Hydrocodone is an opioid painkiller and a narcotic. It’s legally available with a prescription and is used to treat severe pain and cough. It works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, providing euphoric, pain-relieving effects. Hydrocodone is sold under the brand names Vicodin, Lortab, and Lorcet (among others), and people abuse it by taking it longer than prescribed, taking larger doses than recommended, or taking it with other drugs and/or alcohol. Common street names for hydrocodone are:

• Hydro
• Vikes
• Tabs
• Vicos
• Percs
• Norco
• Watsons

Emerging Street Names for Hydrocodone

• Fluff – A newer slang term appearing in recent listings.
• Hydros – A generic shorthand that’s increasingly common.
• V‑itamin – A playful spin on the “Vitamin” euphemism.
• Tabs – Commonly referencing tablet forms.
• Watson‑387 – May evoke an older brand or coded reference.

Common Hydrocodone Emojis

• 💊 Pill – Generic symbol for any prescription opioid.
• ⚪ White Circle – Represents white tablet form.
• 💀 Skull / ☠️ Skull & Crossbones – Overdose or potency warning.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative or “nodding off” effect.
• 🌊 Wave – Play on “Hydro” in hydrocodone.
• 🧁 Cupcake / 🍰 Cake – Possible visual tie-in to slang “Fluff.”

Combination Codes

• 💊⚪ – White hydrocodone tablet.
• 🌊💊 – “Hydro” pill reference.
• 💊💀 – Potent or dangerous hydrocodone.
• 🧁💊 – Slang “Fluff” code for hydrocodone.
• 💊😴 – Sedating pill effect.

Demerol Street Names

Demerol is a brand name for the narcotic drug, meperidine, which is a Schedule II prescription drug. It has a high potential for abuse due to its strong, euphoric effects, and many people abuse it by using it recreationally. Medically, it’s typically prescribed for short-term pain management or to relieve pain during childbirth. Street names for Demerol include:

• Demmies
• Pain killer

Emerging and Common Slang for Demerol

• D — Simple shorthand used in street-level jargon.
• Dillies — A pluralized, casual form of “D.”
• Demmies — A variant based on the brand name Demerol.
• Pain Killer — A literal, euphemistic reference to its effects.

Common Demerol Emojis

• 💊 Pill – Universal symbol for prescription medications.
• ⚪ White Circle – Represents the tablet form (often white).
• 💀 Skull / ☠️ Skull & Crossbones – Signals potency or overdose danger.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedation or drowsy effects.
• 🅳 Squared Letter D – Could refer to slang “D” for Demerol.
• 🍬 Candy – Ties to the slang “Dillies” (playful, candy-like reference).

Combination Codes

• 💊⚪ – White Demerol tablet.
• 🅳💊 – “D” pill (direct slang for Demerol).
• 🍬💊 – “Dillies” code for Demerol.
• 💊💀 – Potent or dangerous opioid.
• 💊😴 – Sedative pill effect.

Street Names for Prescription Stimulants

Ritalin Street Names

Ritalin is a brand name of the drug methylphenidate, which is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy. It is a Schedule II stimulant drug that can be very addictive when abused recreationally. People often abuse it to lose weight, to improve performance at school or work, or simply just to get high. Ritalin, when abused, can mimic the effects of cocaine, which make it very difficult to stop using once a person becomes physically dependent. Street names for Ritalin are:

• Kiddy coke (or kiddy cocaine)
• Poor man’s cocaine
• Speed
• Uppers
• Vitamin R
• R-ball
• Skippy
• Smarties
• Kibbles &amp Bits
• Diet Coke
• R Pop
• Coke Junior
• Jif
• Study buddies

Emerging & Popular Slang Terms

• Diet Coke
• Kibbles and Bits
• Kiddie Cocaine (or Kiddie Coke)
• Poor Man’s Cocaine
• R-ball
• Rids
• Rit
• Skippy
• Skittles
• Smarties
• Study Buddies
• The Smart Drug
• Vitamin R
• MPH

Common Ritalin Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General prescription or stimulant reference.
• ⚪ White Circle – Represents white tablet form.
• 🟠 Orange Circle – Can be used if referring to certain capsule colors.
• 🍬 Candy – Ties to slang like “Skittles” or “Smarties.”
• 📚 Books / 📝 Memo – Refers to academic use (“study drug,” “study buddies”).
• ⚡ High Voltage – Symbolizes energy boost or stimulant effects.
• 🧠 Brain – Alludes to focus, concentration, or “smart drug” effects.

Combination Codes

• 💊📚 – Study drug reference.
• 🍬💊 – “Candy” pill (Skittles/Smarties slang).
• 💊⚡ – Stimulant pill.
• 🧠⚡ – Brain-boosting effect.
• 💊📝 – Taking Ritalin for studying or exams.

Adderall Street Names

Adderall is a prescription stimulant and amphetamine is widely abused. Medicinally, it’s used to treat attention disorders, but it recreational use of the drug has become increasingly popular with teens and adults. People abuse Adderall for its stimulating effects and to increase focus and energy levels. Abuse is very common among teens, college students, and young professionals in particular. Common Adderall street names include:

• Addys
• Uppers
• Beans
• Black Beauties
• Pep Pills
• Speed
• Dexies
• Zing
• Study Buddies
• Smart Pills

Emerging & Popular Slang Terms

• Addies or Addy – Widely used casual shorthand
• Bennies – A classic term still in usage
• Black Beauties – Evokes a specific pill appearance or packaging
• Blue Pills – Refers to blue-colored Adderall tablets
• Co-pilots (Copilots) – Modern slang, casually used
• Crosses – Another visual reference
• Dexes or Red Dexes – Short for Dexedrine; often refers to red pill forms
• Hearts – Possibly derived from heart-shaped or imprinted pills
• Ice – Borrowed from meth slang, used in some circles
• LA Turnaround – Niche regional slang
• Speed – Broad stimulant shorthand common across drugs
• Truck Drivers – Refers to those who use it to stay awake on long hauls
• Uppers – Generic stimulant term still used informally
• Red Pep or Pep Pills – Indicates energizing effect
• Smarties, Smart Pills – Emphasize cognitive enhancement perception
• Study Buddies – Reference to its illicit “study drug” use
• A‑Train, Zing – More stylized names seen in recent lists

Common Adderall Emojis

• 💊 Pill – Generic prescription drug symbol.
• 🔵 Blue Circle – For blue Adderall tablets (“Blue Pills”).
• 🟠 Orange Circle – For orange capsule versions.
• 📚 Books – Study-related use.
• 📝 Memo – Refers to studying, tests, or note-taking.
• ⚡ High Voltage – Energy boost / stimulant effect.
• 🧠 Brain – Focus and concentration effects (“smart drug”).
• 🚀 Rocket – Fast-acting energy or productivity boost.

Combination Codes

• 💊📚🧠 – “Study drug” reference.
• 🔵💊⚡ – Blue Adderall pill with stimulant effect.
• 🟠💊📚 – Orange capsule for studying.
• 💊🚀📝 – Fast energy for schoolwork or projects.
• 📚🧠⚡ – Focus + study + energy combo.

Street Names for Prescription Depressants, Sedatives, and Tranquilizers

Xanax Street Names

Xanax is a benzodiazepine that’s used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. It is one of the most commonly prescribed benzodiazepines in the United States and is frequently abused for its calming and relaxing effects. Abusing Xanax over an extended period of time can cause serious side effects and withdrawal can be very uncomfortable or even deadly. Common Xanax street names are:

• Xannies or Zannies
• Benzos
• Handlebars
• Blue footballs

Emerging & Popular Slang for Xanax (2025)

• Xannies / Zannies – Casual shorthand for Xanax, widely used today.
• Bars, Xanbars / Zanbars, Z‑Bars – Based on the segmented “bar” shape of 2 mg Xanax tablets.
• Handlebars, Bike Parts – Likely referencing both pill shape and sedative “calming” effect.
• Footballs, Blue Footballs – Oval-shaped tablets, often of a specific dosage or color.
• School Bus – Refers to the yellow-colored 2 mg tablets.
• Planks, Ladders, Sticks – Shape-based slang referencing flat, rectangular tablets.
• French Fries, Peaches, White Boys / White Girls, Hulk – Terms referring to specific appearance or color variations of Xanax tablets.
• Upjohns – A brand-based slang referring to the drug’s manufacturer, Upjohn (Pfizer).
• Chill Pills, Tranks, Downers, Benzos, Nerve Pills, Bricks, Palitroque – General descriptors or coded references to effects or mood suppression.

Common Xanax Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General prescription drug symbol.
• 📏 Ruler or ➖ Minus Sign – Resembles a Xanax bar shape (“bars,” “planks,” “sticks”).
• 🟨 Yellow Square / 🟦 Blue Square / ⚪ White Circle – Indicates tablet color (e.g., yellow “school bus,” blue “footballs,” white bars).
• 🏈 American Football – Refers to oval “footballs.”
• 🚍 Bus – Yellow “school bus” Xanax bars.
• 🍑 Peach – Peach-colored Xanax tablets.
• 🥒 Cucumber or 🟩 Green Square – “Hulk” green Xanax.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative/nodding effect.
• 😌 Relieved Face – Calming, anti-anxiety effect.

Combination Codes

• 💊📏 – Xanax bar.
• 🏈💊 – Oval “football” Xanax pill.
• 🟨🚍 – Yellow school bus Xanax.
• 🍑💊 – Peach-colored Xanax.
• 🟩💊 – Hulk green Xanax.
• 💊😴 – Sedative effect.

Valium Street Names

Valium (also sold under the brand name Diazepam) is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. It works by making the user feel relaxed and calm.  The effects are long-lasting and can typically be felt within 30 minutes to one hour of taking the drug. The DEA classifies valium as a Schedule IV controlled substance, which means it has a potential for abuse and misuse. Street names for valium include:

• Vs
• Yellow Vs
• Blue Vs
• Benzos
• Downers
• Foofoo
• Howards
• Sleep away

Emerging & Common Street Slang for Valium

• V, Vals, Vallies — Variations on short, coded forms of the drug’s name
• Eggs — A playful nickname referencing pill form or color .
• Jellies, Moggies — Informal, affectionate slang terms.
• Candy, French Blues, Blues — Derived from Valium’s appearance or coloring; “French Blues” is especially evocative.
• Downers, Tranks, Sleep Aways — Broader benzo-category terms commonly applied to Valium for its sedative effects.

Common Valium Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General prescription or benzo reference.
• 🟦 Blue Square – Blue tablets (“French Blues,” “Blues”).
• ⚪ White Circle – White tablet version.
• 🍬 Candy – From slang “Candy” for Valium.
• 🥚 Egg – From slang “Eggs.”
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative or calming effect.
• 😌 Relieved Face – Anti-anxiety effect.

Combination Codes

• 💊🟦 – Blue Valium tablet (“French Blues”).
• 💊🍬 – “Candy” slang for Valium.
• 🥚💊 – “Eggs” code for Valium.
• 💊😴 – Sedative pill effect.
• 🟦💊😌 – Blue Valium tablet with calming properties.

Librium Street Names

Librium is a brand name of the drug Chlordiazepoxide. It is a long-acting benzodiazepine that is only legally available with a prescription. Librium is used to treat anxiety disorders and is like other drugs in its class like Valium, Klonopin, and Ativan. It works by increasing GABA activity in the brain, providing a sedating and calming effect in the user, but it also has a potential for abuse. Street names for Librium include:

• Downers
• Tranqs
• Bennies
• Benzos
• L
• Blue bombs
• Blues
• Ruffies
• Normies
• Nerve pills
• Candy
• Sleeping Pills
• Tranks

Common Librium Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General prescription drug or benzo reference.
• 🍬 Candy – From the slang “Candy.”
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative or drowsy effect.
• 😌 Relieved Face – Calming, anti-anxiety effect.
• ⚪ White Circle – If referring to white pill form.
• 🟢 Green Circle – If referring to green capsule variant.

Combination Codes

• 💊🍬 – “Candy” slang for Librium.
• 💊😴 – Sedative pill.
• ⚪💊 – White pill form of Librium.
• 🟢💊 – Green capsule form.
• 💊😌 – Calming medication.

Pentobarbital Street Names

Pentobarbital is a barbiturate and a prescription sedative that’s used to treat insomnia or prevent convulsions. It is a highly addictive drug and is only meant to be used on a short-term basis. When it’s abused for recreational purposes, pentobarbital can easily cause tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction. It’s sold under the brand names Nembutal and Luminal. Common street names include:

• Nembies
• Downers
• Goofballs
• Barbs
• Reds
• Bute
• Stoppers
• Yellow jackets
• Black beauties
• M&M’s
• Nembies
• Rainbows

Emerging & Common Street Names for Pentobarbital

• Barbs – General abbreviation for barbiturates.
• Phennies – Common slang spanning multiple barbiturate forms.
• Yellow Jackets – Refers to the yellow-colored capsules.
• Mexican Yellows – Indicates regional or cultural variation of the yellow pill nickname.
• Nembies – Direct derivative from the brand name Nembutal

Common Pentobarbital Emojis

• 💊 Pill – General prescription/barbiturate reference.
• 💛 Yellow Heart – Represents “Yellow Jackets” or “Mexican Yellows.”
• 🟡 Yellow Circle – Another visual cue for yellow-colored capsules.
• 😴 Sleeping Face / 💤 Zzz – Sedative, sleep-inducing effect.
• 😌 Relieved Face – Calming or relaxing effect.
• 🌵 Cactus – Occasionally used for “Mexican Yellows” as a subtle geographic cue.

Combination Codes

• 💊🟡 – Yellow pentobarbital pill.
• 💛💊 – “Yellow Jackets” reference.
• 🌵🟡💊 – “Mexican Yellows.”
• 💊😴 – Sedative pill.
• 💊😌 – Relaxing/tranquilizer effect.

Get Addiction Help for Yourself or a Loved One

If you or a loved one is addicted to alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription drugs, it’s never too late to get help. The staff at Briarwood Detox Center is ready to help you by designing a personalized Austin drug detox program that will help you clear all the drugs from your body and achieve a stable and sober state. Call Briarwood Detox Center today to get started with your individualized detox program.