Acid/sid/blotter purple dots

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) - a chemical that produces hallucinations.

Amyl nitrate/poppers

A vasodilator (dilates blood vessels), usually sold in a crushable glass ampoule or-more commonly-a small brown bottle from which the liquid is sniffed.

Amphetamines ("ammys")

Stimulant drugs such as Dexedrine and Methedrine; often known as ups, uppers, wake-ups, bennies, co-pilots, hearts, pep pills, footballs, jolly beans.

Angel dust

Slang for Phencyclidine or PCP. Drug that is available in liquid, powder and pill form.

Backloading

A method of preparing and sharing drugs for injection using two syringes to reduce waste. The drug solution is drawn up in one syringe, the plunger taken out of the other and some of the solution squirted into it.

Bag

A unit of measure.

Balloon

A unit of measure similar to "bag".

Bang

To inject drugs.

Barbiturates

Depressant drugs such as Seconal, Nembutal; often known as downs, downers, barbs, goofballs, candy, peanuts.

Base

To smoke a specially prepared form of cocaine in a water pipe.

Belushi

A speedball (alternative injections of cocaine and heroin).

Bennies

Benzedrine (see Amphetamines)

Blue velvet

An intravenous injection of paregoric (camphorated tincture of opium) with an antihistamine

Bombita

Amphetamine injection, sometimes taken with heroin.

Boosting

Injecting drugs.

Boot

To draw up blood into a syringe and mix it with the substance being injected.

Booze can

An illegal after-hours drinking and drug-taking establishment.

Busted

Arrested.

Chalk

Methamphetamine (speed).

Chipping

Occasional or intermittent use of drugs to try to get clean.

Clean

Off drugs; not in possession of them.

Coke

Cocaine; Coca leaves.

Come down

End of a drug experience; allowing the effects of a drug to wear off; to return to reality.

Connection

A supplier of illegal drugs, usually a seller or a source who directs one to a seller.

Cookie

Crack rock.

Cooker

A bottle cap, spoon or other item used to heat and dissolve heroin in water.

Cotton

A process in which heroin and other drugs are drawn into a syringe through a piece of cotton to filter.

Crack

Cocaine mixed with baking soda and formed into pieces that can be smoked.

Crank

To inject into a vein.

Crashing

A state of physical discomfort and depression caused by stopping speed use, especially after an extended period of use.

Crystal

Methedrine, a methamphetamine known as "meth" and "speed".

Cut

To dilute drugs by adding milk, sugar or another inactive substance.

Detox

Medical management of withdrawal.

Dexies

Dexedrine (see Amphetamines).

Dillies

Prescription synthetic morphine.

Dirty

A term sometimes used to describe a used syringe.

Dollies

Methadone, a synthetic narcotic.

Double barrelling

Loading a syringe with a blood and drug mixture to ensure the drug is dissolved, and sharing the mixture with another person.

Downs/downers

(see Barbiturates)

Drop

To take by mouth.

Eight ball

1/8 ounce of cocaine.

Ecstasy

3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), also commonly called called "E". Usually comes in pill form.

Fit

A needle or syringe.

Fix

To inject.

Flagging

Drawing blood into a syringe to ensure the drug will enter a vein; also called "booting" in the USA.

Flushing out

Done to ensure all the drug is injected into the vein. While the needle is still in the vein, the plunger is withdrawn to draw up blood into the syringe. The blood is then injected back into the vein to flush out any drug particles remaining in the syringe.

Freebase

To smoke cocaine in a water pipe.

Frontloading

A method of preparing and sharing drugs for injection using two syringes to reduce waste, similar to backloading. The drug solution is drawn up in one syringe, the needle removed from the other and some of the solution squirted into it.

Ganjah

Superior grade of marijuana.

Get off

To get high.

Glue sniffing

Inhalation of any solvent.

Gun

A hypodermic needle.

Guzzle

To inject.

Hallucinogens

Psychotoxic drugs that affect the mind in a way that produces distorted sensations abnormal in content.

Hash

Hashish, the resin obtained from the flowers of the cannibis plant; a hallucinogenic drug, also called black, afghan, blond.

Hash oil

An oil extract of the active ingredient in hashish.

Heroin

A narcotic, often known as h, Harry, horse, stuff, junk, smack, scag.

High

Being under the influence of drugs, being intoxicated, turned on, exhilarated to purchase drugs. Can also mean an arrest.

Hit

An injection.

Hype

Drug user or syringe and needle.

Huffing

Inhaling glue.

IV

Intravenous (injection directly into a vein).

Jack up

To rob for money. Can also mean a search by the police.

Joint

A marijuana cigarette.

Jonesing

Going through withdrawal, needing a "hit".

Junkie

A heroin addict.

LSD

Lysergic acid diethylamide, a psychedelic chemical or so-called "mind expansion" drug.

Layout/outfit

Equipment for injecting drugs.

Leaf

Cocaine or cannabis.

M

Morphine, a narcotic.

MDA

A hallucinogen related to mescaline.

Machine

Syringe.

Mainline

To inject drugs into a vein.

Marijuana

A drug obtained from the flowering tops of the cannabis or hemp plant; often known as cannabis, grass, giggle-smoke, hay, hemp, joint, locoweed, Mary Jane mess, pot, reefer, rope, stick, teak, weed, boo.

Mescaline

The pure alkaloid derived from the peyote cactus, a hallucinogen or so called "mind expansion" drug.

Meth

Short form for methadone, also used to describe methamphetamine.

Muscling

Injecting into muscle.

Narcotics

A group of drugs with addicting properties; the most common are the opiates: heroin, morphine and codeine.

Needle

A hypodermic syringe.

On the nod

Sleepy from narcotics, especially heroin.

Opiates

Drugs derived from opium.

Outfit

A needle or syringe.

Overamp

Overdose of speed; usually refers to an intense sensation.

PCP

Phencyclidine, a veterinary anesthetic which is subject to abuse as a hallucinogen.

Pinks

Seconal, a barbiturate.

Point

A needle or syringe.

Pop

To inject drugs under the skin or to swallow drugs.

Poppers

Amyl nitrate, a vasodilator, in a crushable glass ampoule.

Psilocybin

A hallucinogenic drug derived from a Mexican mushroom.

Quill

A matchbook cover for sniffing "Meth," cocaine or heroin.

Rainbow

Tuinal (Amaytal and Seconal), a barbiturate combination in a blue and red capsule.

red birds

Seconal, a barbiturate.

Rig

A needle or syringe.

Roxanne

Slang for crack, cocaine rock.

Rock

Crack.

Run

The practice of using drugs continuously for a period of time, as in "on the run".

Rush/rushing

The initial intense sensation felt when injecting.

Skin popping

Injecting drugs between skin and fat layers.

Score

To purchase drugs.

Script

Prescription.

Shoot up

To inject drugs.

Shooting gallery

Place where people inject.

Shroom

Mushrooms.

Sick

Withdrawal from opiates.

Six (keeping six)

Look Out! (be on the lookout for police, danger, etc.).

Slam

To inject.

Smack

Heroin.

Sniff

To sniff drugs and solvents.

Snort

To inhale.

Snow

Cocaine.

Special k

A type of animal tranquilizer used mainly in the dance scene.

Speed

Stimulants, specifically methamphetamine, known as Methedrine or Desoxyn.

Speedball

An injection that combines a stimulant and a depressant (cocaine and heroin).

Spoon

A utensil used to dissolve and heat substances before injecting.

Stereo

Using two needles to inject different drugs at the same time.

Stick

To inject.

STP

A hallucinogenic chemical related to mescaline and amphetamines.

Strung out

Heavily addicted; high.

Tab

A tablet of LSD, (see LSD).

Tracks

Needle tracks, scars along veins after many injections.

Trip/tripping

Being "high" on hallucinogens.

Tweaking

A level of speed intoxication reached after one or two days of constant use, characterized by obsessive behaviour.

works

Drug equipment such as needles, syringes, spoons, filters, water, swabs and tourniquets.