More and more Americans every day are realizing that the disease of addiction truly knows no bounds. There are no rules or limits on who it will affect– regardless of age, gender, social status, or race, people from all walks of life can become addicted to things like drugs, alcohol, sex, food, or even gambling. Many who develop these addictions can allow them to take over their lives. One of the most addictive drugs out there is heroin. If you suspect someone you know may be addicted to the drug, we will present some popular heroin slang words they may be using to hide their addiction. An addiction to drugs or alcohol occurs when a person becomes physically and/or psychologically dependent on a substance, such as alcohol or heroin.
When an addiction is formed, something that can happen even after just one time of using, the person suffering is unable to stop seeking and using drugs or alcohol because of the chemical changes that happen in the brain once an addiction develops.
The opioid epidemic has sadly made addiction fairly common in the United States.
A recent study found that 1 out of every 7 people will struggle with a substance abuse disorder of some kind throughout the duration of their lives. In recent years however, heroin or opioid abuse has drastically increased. Data collected from 2017 shows that 130 people in the United States die every day from an opioid overdose. In 2016 alone, more than 948,000 Americans tried heroin for the first time, a number that has been on the rise since 2007. It is estimated that nearly 25% of people who try
heroin will become addicted, adding to the growing concern of the opioid crisis. If you suspect a loved one might be abusing heroin, there are many signs you can look out for that might indicate they have a problem. Heroin is usually seen as a white or brown powder, but it can appear as a black, sticky substance. Heroin is a very powerful substance when abused, and is similar to morphine, causing many physical symptoms and other signs to appear. These can include:
- “Track marks” or injection sites
- Pinhole pupils
- Skin infections or excessive itching
- Finding paraphernalia such as needles, burnt spoons, glass pipes, lighters, belts, or rubber tubing
- Scabs or bruises from picking at the skin
- Delusions, hallucinations, or paranoia
- Slurred speech
- Drowsiness or nodding off at random times throughout the day
- Decreased attention to personal hygiene
- Shortness of breath
Of course, these are just a few signs or symptoms to look out for if you suspect a loved one of an addiction to heroin. There may be other warning signs that you may want to look out for. For instance, many addicts develop a type of “slang” language that is meant to conceal drug use from those who may suspect they might have a problem.
The term “slang language” is meant to describe words or phrases that are informal, and whose meaning is only known by a certain group of people. Slang language can be used for many reasons, some groups use it to form a certain identity or, for others, there is a more illicit purpose. As mentioned, many addicts use slang language in order to hide their drug use from others and since heroin is illegal, there are many slang words that have been created to refer to the drug without arousing suspicion.
Slang Based Upon the Appearance of Heroin
- Black Pearl
- Black Sheep
- Black Tar
- Brown Crystal
- Brown Rhine
- Brown Sugar
- White Junk
- White Nurse
- White Stuff
- Salt
- Spider Blue
- Dirt
- Diesel
- Golden Girl
- Red Chicken
Heroin Slang Based Upon Location Of Origin
- Chinese Red
- Mexican Horse
- Mexican Mud
Slang For Low Quality Heroin
- Bad Bundle
- Crap
- Crop
- Flea Powder
- Garbage
- Ragweed
Slang Terms Based Upon Packaging
- Bag
- Balloon
- Bindle
- Blue Hero
- Brick Bum
- Burrito
Slang Names Based Off The Word Heroin
- Big H
- H
- Charlie Horse
- Galloping Horse
- Capital H
- H Caps
- Heavy
- Helicopter
- Hero
Other Slang or Street Names for Heroin
- A-Bomb
- Antifreeze
- Tootsie Roll
- Smack
- Ballot
- Basketball
- Fairy Duster
- Life Saver
- Noise
- Scag
- Smack
- Bozo
- Bonita
- Butter
- Aunt Hazel
- Beast
- Hombre
- Old Steve
- Henry
- Helen
- Hercules
- Rambo
- Witch
- George Smack
- Dragon
- Boy
- Charlie
- Morena
- Junk
- Snow
- Chiba
- Chiva
- Skunk
- Tar
- Number 4
- Number 3
- Number 8
- Poison
- Dog Food
- Curly Hair
- Doggy
- Doogi
- Hats
- Heaven Dust
- P-funk
- Patty
- Sweet Jesus
- Thunder
- Modela Negra
- Puppy
- Pure
- Raw
- Sticky Kind
- Mojo
- Mole
- Chinese Food
- Engines
- Whiskey
- Comida
- Coffee
- Chorizo
- Black Paint
- Black Olives
- Cardio
- Cement
- Coco
Slang Terms For Heroin Combined With Other Drugs
- Dynamite, Bellushi, Boy-Girl, Goofball, H&C, He-She, Primo, and Snowball- used to describe heroin mixed with cocaine
- Primo, Chasing the Dragon, Dragon Rock, Chocolate Rock, Eightball, Moonrock- all terms meant to describe heroin mixed with crack cocaine
- Screwball- refers to heroin mixed with methamphetamines
- H Bomb- a mixture of heroin and ecstasy
- Neon Nod- heroin and LSD (acid)
- Chocolate Bars- a mixture of heroin and xanax
- Atom Bombs or A bombs- slang for a combination of heroin and marijuana
- El Diablo- can be used to refer to heroin by itself, but can also refer to a combination of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana
- LBJ- refers to heroin mixed with LSD and PCP
- Cheese- mixture of cold medicine and heroin
- China White- fentanyl and heroin, a highly dangerous combination
- Chocolate Chip Cookies- MDMA (ecstasy) and heroin
- Cotton Brothers or New Jack Swing- mixture of morphine and heroin
- Meth Speed Ball- Meth (methamphetamine) and Heroin
- The Five Way- a deadly combination of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, rohypnol, and alcohol
Keep in mind that some slang words may mean something else depending on different factors like location and age, as these have been known to change, but the intending meaning is usually pretty close to the same. This is also not an all-inclusive list, as there are many other names for heroin on the street. We hope that this helps you decide whether or not your loved one may need help with an addiction to heroin.
If you are not sure what steps to take next, then please do not hesitate to reach out to us for help! We have many addiction specialists that can help you figure out the next plan of action if you suspect that a loved one needs help with their substance abuse problem. Or, if you yourself are struggling, then there is no shame in getting help. We know how difficult it can be to get sober, even if you really want to stop using drugs or alcohol. We can help give you the tools necessary for a healthy and sober life!
