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In the last few years, fentanyl use has expanded from the east to west coast and is found in all cities and within many rural communities. Fentanyl is found in various forms, including:
Pills sold as fake oxycodone, Xanax and sought after medications.
Powder form; sometimes mixed into other drugs such as cocaine, crystal meth, and heroin. When sold as a powder, fentanyl can look varying levels of off-white to light brown. When it is mixed into other powders, fentanyl tends to bring an off-brown color to the mixture.
Prescribed fentanyl patches; these are mainly found in a clinical settings.
Changes in performance at school or work
Frequently missing school or work
A sudden disinterest in work or their usual school activities
A drop in their grades or work performance
Changes in physical health
Lack of energy or motivation
Red eyes or enlarged pupils
Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination
Changes in appetite, weight loss or weight gain
Changes in sleep patterns
changes in appearance
Neglecting their appearance, a lack of interest in clothing, grooming or looks
Unusual smells on their breath, body, or clothing
Changes in behavior
Sudden change in friends, favorite hangouts, or hobbies
Being secretive about where he or she goes with friends
Unexplained drastic changes in relationships with friends or family
Barring family members from entering their room
Sudden mood swings, irritability, depression or angry outbursts
Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness, often followed by low motivation
Appearing fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no apparent reason
Changes in money management
Unexplained financial problems, or making sudden requests for money without an explanation
Stealing or taking other people’s money or valuables which can be exchanged for substances
Changes in relationship to substances
Using drugs or alcohol while driving or operating machinery
Experiencing legal problems related to drugs or alcohol
Using drugs or alcohol even though it causes problems in their relationships
Hiding drugs or alcohol throughout their home.
Know What Your Kids Are Talking About With This Guide to Today’s Drug Terms
How would you know if you don’t even know what that means?
“It’s very important that parents brush up on … slang, because just like with text messaging, kids use all these abbreviations and parents don’t know what they mean. But the more they understand what these things mean, the more they will be able to monitor kids’ behavior,” says Gregory Pollock, a psychotherapist specializing in addiction at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio.
That’s why WebMD went directly to the experts on the front lines of teen drug abuse to get a better handle on the today’s teenage drug slang.
Here’s what you need to know about teens and drugs today:
Cold Medicine Abuse
Dextromethorphan (DXM): This is a drug contained in over-the-counter cough suppressants. After 900 milligrams, it becomes a hallucinogen. Synonyms for DXM include Candy, Dex, DM, Drex, Red Devils, Robo, Rojo, Skittles, Tussin, Velvet, Poor Man’s X, and Vitamin D. “Tussin is a very popular name that has been catching on lately,” says Pollock. “Cold medicine abuse is a very serious problem, from what I have seen, because it is so available.”
Syrup heads: Users of DXM
Dexing: Abusing cough syrup. Synonyms include robotripping or robodosing because users tend to chug Robitussin or another cough syrup to get high.
Triple C: This stands for Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold. “The triple C or CCC is something that we are seeing a lot of, and that is specific to Coricidin, but anything with DXM is abused today,” adds Kevin M. Gray, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
More Teen Drug Use Terms
Special K: A medication used as an anesthetic in humans and animals, ketamine is sometimes abused as a “club drug.” It can cause hallucinations and euphoria in higher doses. Synonyms include vitamin K, breakfast cereal, cat valium, horse tranquilizer, K, Ket, new ecstasy, psychedelic heroin, and super acid.
Crank: The stimulant methamphetamine. Synonyms include meth, speed, chalk, white cross, fire, and glass. “Crystal methamphetamine is called ice,” says Cleveland Clinic’s Pollock. “Crystal meth is smoked, but meth can be injected, snorted, or taken as a pill,” he explains.
Antifreeze: Heroin. Synonyms include Big H, brown sugar, dope, golden girls, H, horse, junk, poison, skag, smack, sweet dreams, tar, and train, according to the web site of Phoenix House, a national alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention facility.
Crossfaded or Crunk: This is a verb that means to get high and drunk at the same time.
Snow: Cocaine. Synonyms include Charlie, crack, coke, dust, flake, freebase, lady, nose candy, powder, rock, rails, snowbirds, toot, white, and yahoo, according to Phoenix House. “After all this time, alcohol and pot are still the most used drugs by teens, but cocaine is really a strong third, especially with females, because of the weight issue,” says Janice Styer, MSW, a clinical coordinator-addictions counselor at Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, Pa. “The drug of choice among women with eating disorders is almost invariably cocaine.” A stimulant, cocaine can decrease appetite.
X: Ecstasy or 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Synonyms include Adam, E, bean, clarity, essence, lovers speed, MDMA, roll, stacy, XTC, according to the Phoenix House.
Georgia Home Boy: This refers to Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a central nervous system depressant can produce euphoric, sedative, and body-building effects. Other synonyms include Gamma-OH, Grievous Bodily Harm, Liquid Ecstasy, Liquid E, Liquid X, Organic Quaalude, and Scoop, according to Phoenix House.
Roofies: This refers to rohypnol, a.k.a. the date rape drug. Synonyms include the forget pill, La Rocha, Mexican valium, R-2, rib, roachies, roofenol, rophies, roche (pronounced roe-shay), and rope.
Kibbles and bits: The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug called Ritalin. It is sometimes also referred to as pineapple, says Pollock.
Teens and Drugs on the Web
Cheese: This is a hazardous mix of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM or other medicines containing diphenhydramine). It looks like grated parmesan cheese — thus the name. There were more than 20 teen deaths in Dallas and surrounding neighborhoods that have been attributed to Cheese since it was identified in 2005.
Candy flipping: This term refers to a high that’s achieved by combining LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) or acid with ecstasy. “The new thing, especially with kids on the Internet, is which drugs are best and safest to combine,” explains Styer.
A new study by the Caron Treatment Centers found that one in 10 messages on the Internet involved teens seeking advice from their peers on how to take illicit drugs. The messages were posted on common online message boards, forums, and social network sites.
When it comes to teens and drugs, “You will never know everything, but you don’t want your kids to think you are an idiot,” “You need to keep communication open and talk to your kids about the dangers of the Internet.”
Courtesy of WebMd.
No matter what you’re facing, you deserve to be connected to help.
Institute for Behavior and Health
Resources for Students and Teachers
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition
Addressing the fentanyl threat to public health (NEJM)
How and When to Start a Conversation with a Struggling Friend
What Factors Impact Our Mental Health?
How to Help a Friend Reach Out for Support
Understanding the Mental Health and Drinking Connection
CAGE-AID at screener.ulifeline.org
SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
Frequently Asked Questions About Fentanyl and Fentanyl Test Strips
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid used in clinical settings to treat severe pain. It can be found in the illicit drug market and is being mixed with other illicitly manufactured opioids like heroin, in pressed pills, cocaine, MDMA, and methamphetamines to increase their potency. Because of how potent it is, it can significantly increase the risk of overdose.
How strong is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl can be up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
What are Fentanyl test strips?
Fentanyl test strips are a drug testing technology. They can be used to test drugs for traces of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, allowing a person using drugs to know what they are putting into their body, and take the proper steps to prevent an overdose.
How accurate are Fentanyl test strips?
Most Fentanyl test strips on the market are 96-100 percent accurate in detecting the presence of Fentanyl. It is important to note that a negative test result may still contain a fentanyl analog or fentanyl at a lower concentration than detectable by the test strip.
What do Fentanyl test strips detect?
Fentanyl test strips detect the presence of fentanyl and its analogs. They do not not measure how much fentanyl is contained in a drug sample nor does it measure the potency of the supply.
What can be done in the event of a Fentanyl Overdose?
You should respond to a Fentanyl overdose the same way you respond to any other overdose: by administering naloxone, calling 911, and starting rescue breaths. Because Fentanyl is an opioid, Naloxone can be used to reverse a Fentanyl overdose. Learn more about naloxone and how it can help in the case of an opioid overdose.
How to Use Naloxone (Narcan™)
for an Opioid Overdose
Naloxone is able to be administered through several different methods. This includes an autoinjector, a syringe, a nasal spray, and an atomizer. Although traditionally naloxone was administered only by emergency response personnel, today it can be administered by minimally trained laypeople. Below you will find guides on how to administer naloxone for each method.
How to Administer Naloxone (Narcan™)
with Different Delivery Devices
Intramuscular
Syringe/Vial
Intramuscular naloxone should be injected into the shoulder or thigh at a 90-degree angle. It comes packaged in single and multi-dose forms.
Intranasal
Amphastar with MAD Atomizer
Most pharmacies carry the Amphastar brand of intranasal naloxone, which along with a MAD atomizer will convert the liquid to a nasal spray.
Intranasal
Narcan® Nasal Spray
narcan® Nasal Spray Narcan® by Adapt Pharma is a 4mg formulation of intranasal naloxone. It requires no assembly which makes for easy use.
How Often to Administer Naloxone?
When a person is experiencing an overdose, naloxone can be administered every 2-3 minutes until the person wakes up. Learn more about Naloxone and how it can help with substance abuse overdose.