Every parent is baffled at times by the slang of their teens. Individuating via language is an important rite of passage for each generation; a way for the younger generation to identify themselves as unique. But can this normal behavior mask something more dangerous? It is entirely possible that your teenager is talking about their drug use right in front of you. Knowing current slang may be the difference between keeping your child safe, and allowing them unknowingly to engage in unsafe behavior.
Every generation adopts slang for drugs, and the paraphernalia used within the drug culture. Many terms from previous generations remain them same; successive generations strive to identify themselves with fresh new spin words. The advent of new drugs and hybrids of old drugs has necessitated the invention of original names. Many terms may have alternate or multiple meanings depending on a specific region. To try and keep up with current slang can be difficult for most parents. Fortunately, with the help of the Internet and interviewing a group of “experienced” adolescents, we have come up with a shortlist of some of the more common contemporary drug terminology.
Adderall: addys
Cocaine: blow, coke, girl, nose candy, powder, snow, “snow white”, white, the white pony, yay, yayo
Coricidin: cherry bombs, dm, dxm, robo, skittles, triple C’s,
Crack: freebase, ice, rock
Crystal Methamphetamine: crank, crystal, “Crystal Light”, glass, ice, meth, shit, speed, spiff, sugar, Tina, twak, tweak, twizzle, white ice, yaba
Ecstasy / MDMA: Adam, beans, disco biscuits, E, raves, thiz, thizzle, X, XTC
Ecstasy and LSD: candy flip
Heroin: cheese, china white, chiva, dope, H, horse, junk, monkey, smack, tar
Ketamine: k, special k
LSD: blotter, doses, L, liquid, Sid, sugar cubes, sunshine, tabs, trips
Marijuana / Cannabis: blaze, bud, cheeba, chronic, ganja, grass, greens, herb, hydro, MJ, Mary Jane, reefer, THC, trees, weed
Use of Marijuana: blaze, have a sess(ion), let’s go bowling, 420
Mushrooms: magic mushrooms, shrooms
Nitrous Oxide: cartridges, hippy crack, laughing gas, NO2
Oxycontin: o.c., orange county, oxy, Percocet, Percodan
PCP: angel dust, evil
Vicodin: narcos, vics
Xanax: bars, footballs, white sticks, xanys, z-bars, zanies
This list is not comprehensive, and drug terms change frequently, so remember to do your own research. Google any terms you hear your children throwing around if you suspect they may be talking about drug use. Knowing what your teenagers know may be the best way to protect them!
For further information visit:
www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/default.asp
www.erowid.com *
www.urbandictionary.com *
* The last two sites were provided by teens and represent sites where they get their information about drugs. These sites are designed for young people, teens and/or drug users, and may contain offensive material and candid discussion of drug use.
