Heroin Street Names | Heroin Slang, Nicknames, & Common Terms
Heroin is an opioid drug derived from morphine, which is an opiate, a naturally-occurring substance that comes from the opium poppy. It’s available as a white powder, brown powder, or a dark, tar-like substance called “black tar heroin.”
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse classify heroin as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. That means it’s illegal and frequently abused.
People abuse heroin because it can promote euphoria (intense joy) by affecting the central nervous system. On the street, it’s sold under various slang terms.
Heroin Street Names
The most common street names for heroin include:
- Big H
- Boy
- Capital H
- Dead On Arrival
- Dope
- Good H
- H
- Hell Dust
- Hero
- Horse
- Junk
- Poppy
- Skag
- Smack
Street Names For Heroin Types
You may also see street names based on heroin type and appearance.
For example, street names for white powder heroin include:
- China White
- Snow
- Snowball
- White
- White Boy
- White Girl
- White Horse
- White Junk
- White Lady
- White Nurse
- White Shirt
- White Stuff
Street names for brown powder heroin include:
- Brown
- Brown Crystal
- Brown Rhine
- Brown Sugar
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Shake
- Coffee
- Crown Crap
- Dirt
Street names for black tar heroin include:
- Black
- Black G
- Black Olives
- Black Paint
- Black Pearl
- Black Shirt
- Black Tar
- Diesel
- Mexican Food
- Mexican Mud
- Mud
- Skunk
Street Names For Heroin Mixed With Other Drugs
There are also a number of slang terms for heroin combined with other drugs. These include:
- Alien Sex Fiend (heroin mixed with PCP)
- Atom Bomb or A-Bomb (heroin mixed with marijuana or “weed”)
- Beast or Neon Nod (heroin mixed with LSD)
- Belushi, Bombita, or Dynamite (heroin mixed with cocaine)
- Birria (heroin mixed with fentanyl)
- Cheese (heroin mixed with over-the-counter cold medicines, allergy medicines, and sleep aids)
- Chiva Loca (heroin mixed with fentanyl)
- Chocolate Bars (heroin mixed with the benzodiazepine Xanax)
- Chocolate Chip Cookies or H-Bomb (heroin mixed with MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly)
- Dragon Rock or Primo (heroin mixed with crack cocaine)
- El Diablo (heroin mixed with cocaine and marijuana)
- Goofball, Screwball, or Crank (heroin mixed with methamphetamine)
- LBJ (heroin mixed with LSD and PCP)
- Speedball (heroin mixed with methylphenidates like Ritalin or amphetamines like Adderall)
Other Heroin-Related Terms
Along with street names, people who use heroin may use other slang terms such as:
- shooting up (injecting heroin)
- chasing the dragon (smoking heroin)
- giving wings (teaching another person how to use heroin)
- jolly popper (someone who uses heroin occasionally)
- channel swimmer (someone who uses heroin regularly)
Heroin Addiction Treatment
Heroin use often leads to addiction, which is also called substance use disorder. If you or a loved one struggles with heroin abuse, please contact an Ark Behavioral Health specialist to learn about our substance abuse and addiction treatment centers, which offer medical detox, mental health counseling, and other recovery services.
Written by Ark Behavioral Health Editorial Team
©2024 Ark National Holdings, LLC. | All Rights Reserved.
This page does not provide medical advice.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - Heroin
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA): Campus Drug Prevention - Slang Terms and Code Words: A Reference for Law Enforcement Personnel
National Institutes of Health - Opioids: Street & Commercial Names
National Institute on Drug Abuse - What Is Heroin and How Is It Used?
U.S. Department of Justice - Heroin Fast Facts
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