Opiates are abused often by many different individuals. Some people abuse prescription opiates after obtaining them either legally or illegally. Others abuse illicit opiates like heroin or opium. Many opiates have other terms or street names that are used when those who abuse the drugs are making reference to them.
Why is It Important to Know the Street Names for Opiates?
Opiate or opioid medications are very common. When someone is looking to obtain the euphoric high one gets from doing most opium-based drugs, he or she might abuse prescription pills. According to the NIDA Teen, people take prescription pills, “crush the pills into powder and snort or inject the drug, causing it to enter the bloodstream and brain very quickly.” People also take illicit opiates like heroin to get high.
The use of street names for these drugs is one of the signs of abuse. Someone calling the drug Percocet by one of its street names (like Percs) may be using it for the wrong purpose. Because those who abuse the drugs have different ways of referring to them, it is important to know as much as possible about street names for drugs. It could be a clue as to whether or not a friend or loved one is abusing a prescription drug or an illicit substance.
Street Names for Opiates
Here are the most commonly abused opiates and their street names.
Prescription opiates
There are various street names for the types of opiates.
- Oxycontin
- Oxy, Hillbilly heroin, kickers, Oxycottons, killers, OC
- Jammed
- This is a term that means someone is “under the influence of Oxycontin” (CESAR).
- Percocet/Percodan
- Percs, percodoms
- Vicodin or Lorcet/Lortab
- Vikes, Watson-387
- Codeine with Robitussin or Tylenol (NIDA)
- Captan Cody or Cody, schoolboy
- Codeine with glutethimide
- “Doors & fours,” “pancakes and syrup,” loads
- Fentanyl (ISATE)
- Apache, Duragesic, Sublimaze, “dance fever,” Actiq, TNT, China White, China Girl
- Tango and Cash, jackpot, friend, goodfella (NIDA)
- Morphine
- Roxanol, Miss Emma, M, “white stuff,” monkey, Duramorph,
- Methadone
- Amidone, fizzies, chocolate chip cookies (with MDMA)
- Numporphan/Numorphone
- Blues, Mrs. O, O bomb, octagons/stop signs, biscuits, blue heaven
- Dilaudid
- D, smack, juice, footballs
- Demerol
- Pain killer, demmies
These drugs are referred to by these names in order to facilitate abuse.
Illicit opiates
- Heroin (NIDA)
- Smack, junk, dope, H, white horse, horse, China white, skunk, skag, brown sugar, hell dust, thunder, chiva, big H
- “Cheese (with OTC cold medicine and antihistamine)”
- Opium (DOJ)
- Black stuff, gum, block, hop, big O, ah-pen-yen, zero, hop/hops, Chinese Molasses, Chinese Tobacco, black pill, mira, O, pox, skee, Dover’s Powder, dopium, gee, God’s medicine, toys, toxy, guma, joy plant, easing powder, dream stick/gun
Drug abuse comes with a different set of rules and behaviors for those involved; street names are only one part of it. When someone you know begins to abuse drugs, he or she could suddenly start to act very different, pushing away old friends in favor of those who also abuse drugs and becoming apathetic about school, work, and responsibilities. If someone you know starts to exhibit these behaviors, he or she could be addicted to opiates.
Dangers of Long-Term Prescription Pain Pill Use -
Using prescription painkillers on a long-term basis is likely to lead to rising tolerance levels, the development of hyperalgesia, and a heightened risk for addiction. 
The Benefits of Brief Intervention Therapy for Curbing Opiate Abuse Practices -
Alcohol and drug addiction affects different people in different ways. Likewise, some people enter the recovery process during the early stages of opiate use while others may take considerably longer. Brief intervention therapy works to meet each person where he or she is at in the recovery process. While not as well publicized as traditional ... 
Top 10 Telltale Opium Addiction Symptoms -
Opium is the latex juice emitted from the unripe opium poppy seed pod when it is scored. For thousands of years, opium has been used medicinally and recreationally for its ability to provide pain relief and produce senses of tranquility or well-being. Heroin is primary product of opium’s high morphine content and the opium-based derivatives, ... 
Signs of Opium Dependence -
While few people actually use opium in its pure form, the use and abuse of opium-based drugs, such as heroin and prescription pain pills runs high. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2010 saw an estimated 12 million Americans abusing prescription pain pills. This number coupled with the rising numbers of people ... 
Physical and Psychological Opium Withdrawal Symptoms -
Opium withdrawal causes a person to experience both physical and psychological symptoms which are not only awkward but often painful. While the NLM states that “opioid withdrawal reactions are very uncomfortable but are not life threatening,” they often last for about a week and can be so unbearable that many users relapse just to make ...