Street Names for Drugs Most Abused by Teenagers

It’s not easy for parents to keep up with all the new and unfamiliar street names for common illegal drugs. That’s because drug slang changes rapidly. Although some street names for drugs stick around for generations—like “pot” for marijuana or “blow” for cocaine—most come and go, often in response to the latest pop culture and social media buzzwords.

In addition, many street names for drugs are intended to confuse and divert attention. Teenagers using drugs want to avoid the suspicions of law enforcement, parents, and teachers. Hence, they use street slang terms in their communications about drugs.

Some of the street names of drugs most abused by teenagers have entered the common vocabulary. You can hear them talked about on the nightly news or featured in television shows. However, countless others remain obscure. The goal of the list of street drugs names below is to increase parents’ awareness, so they have a better chance of recognizing teen drug abuse. If you hear your child mentioning any of these names in a conversation, phone call, email, text message, or IM chat, talk to them immediately about the dangers of drugs and the negative impact that drug use can have on the rest of their lives.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the most commonly abused drugs by teenagers are marijuana, heroin, crack cocaine, crystal meth, ecstasy, and prescription drugs, such as Vicodin and OxyContin. But new street drugs and new street names for drugs can arise at any time, like bath salts, the street name for synthetic cathinone type of drugs. Therefore, parents need to do ongoing research in order to stay on top of these trends and the associated language.

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Key Takeaways

• The most commonly abused drugs by teenagers are marijuana, heroin, cocaine, crystal meth, ecstasy, and prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin and OxyContin.
• Although some street names for illicit drugs stick around for generations—like “pot” for marijuana or “blow” for cocaine—most come and go, often in response to the latest pop culture and social media buzzwords.
• Being aware of the current street names for drugs most commonly abused by teens can help parents recognize a potential problem.
• To achieve sustainable healing from substance abuse, teens need to uncover the underlying causes of their self-destructive behavior.

The Most Common Street Names for Drugs

• Marijuana
  Marijuana street names include weed, dope, pot, reefer, grass, ganja, hash, herb, skunk, boom, gangster, chronic, and blunt.
• Heroin
  Heroin street names include junk, smack, skag, ‘H’, brown, horse, white horse, harry, and boy.
• Cocaine
  Street names for cocaine include coke, crack, rock, Charlie, snow, dust, and yay-yo.
• Crystal Meth
  Crystal meth street names include crank, meth, go-fast, ice, and meth.
• Ecstasy
  Ecstasy street names include E, MDMA, MDA, MDEA, Pills, Love Doves, and Adam.
• Ketamine
  Ketamine street names include Cat Valium, Green, Jet, Special K, Vitamin K, and Blind Squid.

Being aware of the common drug street names used by teens today can help parents protect and educate their children—or get them professional help for a substance use disorder, should it come to that point. By reading over a list of street drugs names, parents become familiar with language that teens might use when speaking about drugs. Therefore, they are better equipped to recognize potential issues and make sure that teens who are using these drugs get the help they need.

Get Help for Teen Drug Abuse Today

Along with learning street names for drugs, parents who are concerned about their teen’s drug and alcohol use can watch for common signs of substance abuse. In addition, a professional assessment can determine whether a teen is suffering from substance abuse disorder. Subsequently, treatment for teen drug use begins with detox (clearing the body of the substance). However, this is only the first stage of comprehensive substance abuse treatment. To achieve sustainable healing, teens need to uncover the underlying causes of their self-destructive behavior, using mental healthcare approaches such as the following:

• Individual therapy and group sessions to increase self-understanding and foster positive relationships
• Attachment-Based Family Therapy to repair rifts in the family dynamic that may be preventing teens from turning to their parents for help
• Experiential modalities, such as Adventure Therapy and creative arts therapy, that allow teens to process emotions and build strengths
• Mindfulness practices, like yoga and meditation, to enhance self-acceptance and the ability to be in the present moment.

An integrated approach to substance abuse treatment that takes body, mind, and spirit into account is proven to have positive outcomes for teen substance use disorders. If you think your teen might be abusing drugs and would like a consultation for teen drug rehab, please contact Newport Academy today.

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