Opioid medications are often called by their street names. Knowing these nicknames can help you determine if a loved one is misusing opioids and prevent addiction from progressing.

Opioids are medications that can be prescribed by doctors to treat pain. Because of their highly addictive nature, prescription opioids are commonly misused and purchased illicitly under “street” names. People might call opioids by their “street” names or nicknames to hide their drug use. Familiarizing yourself with these nicknames can help you determine whether a loved one is abusing opioids.

Opioid Brand Names & Street Names

Opioid medications are often called by their street names when they’re abused. People might use an opioid’s street name to hide their drug use from others or purchase drugs illicitly. The following is a list of the commercial names and street names of commonly abused prescription opioids.

Commercial Names: Buprenorphine, Buprenex®, Suboxone®, Subutex®

Street Names:

• Boxes
• Bupes
• Sobos
• Stop Signs
• Stops
• Subs
• Oranges

Commercial Name: Codeine

Street Names:

• Captain Cody
• Cody
• Lean
• Schoolboy
• Sizzurp
• Purple Drank With gluteth- imide: Doors & Fours
• Loads
• Pancakes and Syrup

Commercial Name: Codeine With Promethazine

Street Name:

• Lean
• Purple Drank

Commercial Name: Fentanyl, Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze

Street Names:

• Apache
• China Girl
• China White
• Dance Fever
• Friend
• Goodfella
• Jackpot
• Murder 8
• Tango and Cash
• TNT

Commercial Names: Hydrocodone, Vicodin®, Lortab®, Lorcet®

Street Names:

• Vike
• Watson-387

Commercial Names: Hydromorphone, Dilaudid®

Street Names:

• D, Dillies
• Footballs
• Juice, Smack

Commercial Names: Meperidine, Demerol®

Street Names:

• Demmies
• Pain Killer

Commercial Names: Methadone, Dolophine®, Methadose®

Street Names:

• Amidone
• Fizzies With MDMA: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Commercial Names: Morphine, Duramorph®, Roxanol®

Street Names:

• M
• Miss Emma
• Monkey
• White Stuff

Commercial Names: Oxycodone, Oxycodone, OxyContin®, Percodan®, Percocet®

Street Names:

• O.C.
• Oxycet
• Oxycotton
• Oxy
• Hillbilly Heroin
• Percs

Commercial Names: Oxymorphone, Opana®

Street Names:

• Biscuits
• Blue Heaven
• Blues
• Mrs. O
• O Bomb
• Octagons
• Stop Signs

Commercial Names: Tapentadol, Nucynta, Nucynta ER

Street Name:

• Tapalee

Commercial Names: Tramadol, Ultram®, Ultracet®

Street Names:

• Tram
• Trammies
• Ultras

Street Opioids

Street opioids are opioids that are not medically prescribed. They are used with the goal of getting “high.” People who already use prescription opioids might turn to street opioids because they tend to be cheaper, more potent and easily accessible. However, using street opioids can be unpredictable and dangerous. They are unregulated and can be mixed with potentially harmful substances. Some street opioids and their slang names include:

Commercial Name: Heroin

Street Names:

• Black Tar
• Black Pearl
• Black Paint
• Brown Crystal
• Brown Rhine
• Brown
• Sugar
• China White
• Dope
• Dragon
• El Diablo
• H
• Hell Dust
• Horse
• Junk
• Mud
• Mexican Mud
• Mole
• Roofing Tar
• Sack
• Scat
• Skag
• Skunk
• Smack

Commercial Name: Cocaine With Heroin

Street Name: 

• Speedball

Commercial Name: Black Tar Heroin

Street Name:

• Black Dragon

The Dangers of Opioid Abuse & Addiction

The misuse of opioids is dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Opioids are highly addictive, which can lead people to misuse them or seek out stronger forms of the substance, like heroin. Reportedly 80% of heroin users began their drug use by abusing prescription opioids.

Opioids are not only addictive but have serious side effects. Long-term use of heroin, for example, can consist of collapsed veins, abscesses, liver and kidney disease, and heart complications. In addition, opioids have a high overdose rate. Opioids slow down your breathing which can prevent the brain from receiving enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, can result in coma, brain damage, or death. According to the CDC, 75% of US overdose deaths in 2020 involved an opioid.

Get Help Today

Overcoming opioid addiction can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. The Recovery Village Cherry Hill at Cooper offers a range of treatment options for opioid addiction, including medical detox, inpatient and outpatient care, aftercare, and dual diagnosis. Contact us today to learn more about our programs and take a step towards long-term recovery.