Medically Reviewed By: Kimberly Langdon M.D.
Because heroin is illegal, heroin users often refer to the drug with slang terms or street names. This enables them to speak in code about the drug without people around them knowing.
But if you know what the street names for heroin are, you can better understand if your friends or loved ones are talking about heroin.
What Are The Street Names For Heroin?
There are a lot of street names for heroin, depending on the kind of heroin in question.
Street Names For Powdered Heroin
Some of these are derived from the fact that heroin can come in the form of a white powder.
Slang terms for powder heroin include:
- China White
- White Girl
- White Lady
- Horse
- White Horse
- H
- Big H
- Hell Dust
- Brown Sugar
Street Names For Black Tar Heroin
But heroin also comes in the form of a black, sticky substance, called black tar heroin.
Slang names for black tar heroin include:
- Black Tar
- Mexican Mud
- Black Pearl
- Chiva
- Negra
Other Common Street Slang For Heroin
There are also general names for heroin that don’t contain a reference to the color or form.
General nicknames include:
- Dope
- Skag
- Skunk
- Smack
Knowing these names can help you identify if your loved one is actively engaged in heroin use and needs addiction treatment at a drug treatment center.
Street Names For Heroin-Laced Substances
Heroin is not only used on its own but with other drugs as additives. Heroin can be taken with many different drugs, some of which can be fatal to the user.
For example, heroin can often be mixed with the painkiller fentanyl to increase the intensity of the high or “rush.”
In some cases, fentanyl is sold as heroin which can result in overdose and death because users are unaware of the strength of the drug they are using.
Fentanyl mixed with heroin street names can include:
- Tango and Cash
- China Girl
- China Town
- Good Fellas
- Apache
Heroin can also be combined with cocaine and be called:
- Belushi
- Speedball
- Snowball
If it is combined with Ecstacy (or MDMA, commonly called Moon Rock), it can be called an H-bomb or Chocolate Chip Cookies. But heroin is not only combined with illegal drugs.
Heroin can be taken with cold medicine and called cheese heroin. Or it can be mixed with Marijuana and called an A-bomb.
Street Slang For Heroin Use
Heroin is commonly thought of as an injectable drug. While it can be injected, it can also be smoked, sniffed, and snorted. There are a number of slang terms that may apply.
For example, using heroin mixed with crack cocaine is called “speedballing.” Or, if you are sniffing or snorting heroin it can be called “bagging” or “huffing.”
Other street terms for using heroin include:
- chasing the dragon
- dib and dab
- give wings
Treatment Options For Heroin Use
At Bedrock Recovery Center, there are many treatment options available if you or your loved one has a drug addiction involving heroin.
Heroin substance abuse can be treated with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine or methadone-type drugs. These treatments may involve drug detox as well.
If you or your loved one are experiencing a substance use disorder related to heroin, call us today to learn more about our individualized treatment plans for heroin addiction.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007313.htm
- National Institute on Drug Abuse https://www.nihlibrary.nih.gov/resources/subject-guides/opioids/street-commercial-names
- National Institute on Drug Abuse https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/heroin
- Drug Enforcement Administration https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl
- Drug Enforcement Administration https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/DIR-022-18.pdf
- National Institute on Drug Abuse https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/inhalants
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html