Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine has many street names, and knowing what the street names for cocaine are can help parents and teens who are worried about a friend or loved one who may be using cocaine. Because street names change frequently, however, parents should keep themselves up to date by talking to local law enforcement officers or others who can tell them which cocaine street names are most common in their area.

By knowing the street names for cocaine, parents can know if their children are talking about drugs or being exposed to media that glorifies drug use. This can give parents a chance to talk to their children about avoiding cocaine and other drugs and being critical of messages they hear in the media.

In 2005, many parents were surprised and upset to learn that a popular shirt featuring an angry snowman actually represented the cocaine drug subculture. The shirt referenced one of the slang terms for cocaine, snow, and the name for a cocaine dealer, or snowman. Many parents bought the shirts for their children, who knew what the snowman stood for, without realizing themselves what the snowman represented. Parents can educate themselves about slang terms related to cocaine use so they are more aware of the drug culture that their children may be exposed to.

Some street names for cocaine include:

• Coke
• Snow
• Snowbird
• Powder
• Lines
• Rails
• Dust
• White lady
• Lady
• Cain
• Rock
• Flake
• C
• Charlie
• Candy
• Flake
• Toot
• Bump
• Blow
• Nose candy
• Marching powder
• White
• Yahoo

Some of these terms also apply to crack cocaine, a form of cocaine that is processed into a crystal form and is usually smoked. Some terms that apply specifically to crack include:

• Jelly beans
• Rooster
• Tornado
• Freebase

Freebasing is a street term for smoking crack cocaine.

When cocaine is mixed with other drugs its potentially deadly effects are magnified. Cocaine mixed with heroin is called a speedball or a moonrock, and smoking the two drugs together is referred to as speedballing. Mixtures of crack and marijuana are called oolies. Crack mixed with marijuana and PCP is known as a wicky stick.

There are also street terms for people who use cocaine or crack:

• Crack head
• Binger
• Geeker

Parents should remember that drug users often come up with slang terms for the drugs in order to hide their actions. Also, teens may enjoy talking in code, and some of the terms they use may refer to drugs. The street names for drugs can change or vary by region, so parents who are particularly concerned about unfamiliar terms that their teens are using should talk to local police officers to find out what street names for cocaine and other drugs are common in their area.

Sources:

USA Today, "Popular snowman T-shirt raises concerns" [online]
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIDA for Teens, ""Stimulants" [online]
Office of National Drug Control Policy, "Crack Facts & Figures," "Crack," and "Cocaine" [online]
WebMD, "Teen Drug Slang: Dictionary for Parents" [online]
Livestrong, "Cocaine" [online]