Digital Camouflage - How Addicts Use Slang to Hide Drugs in Plain Sight

Digital Camouflage - How Addicts Use Slang

to Hide Drugs in Plain Sight

Drug users of all kinds utilize a constantly evolving lexicon of code words and visual shorthand to discuss substance use, specifically designed to bypass adult surveillance. By substituting clinical terms with innocuous everyday words or ambiguous emojis, users can negotiate transactions and discuss consumption openly on platforms like TikTok, WhatsApp, and text messages without triggering parental alarm bells or automated content filters. This linguistic camouflage serves a dual purpose: it fosters a sense of exclusive group identity while acting as a sophisticated security measure. This "hidden in plain sight" communication allows dangerous behaviors to thrive within what appears to be harmless, mundane digital chatter. The names frequently change and new ones are added as users and their dealers detect people - parents, police, caregivers - have become savvy to the ones being used.

Here’s a basic list of the slang that refers to specific drugs…

·  Abe              means         $5 dollars worth of drugs

·  Abe’s cabe                         $5 dollar bill

·  B                                         amount of marijuana to fill a matchbox

·  Bag                                     container for drugs

·  Big 8                                   1/8 kilogram of crack

·  Bindle                                  small package of drugs

·  Bing                                    enough drug for one injection

·  Biscuit                                 50 rocks of crack

·  Bizz                                     bag or portion of drugs

·  Bone                                   $50 dollar piece of crack

·  Bolder                                 $20 dollars worth of crack

·  Breakdown                         a $40 dollar rock sold for $20 dollars

·  Brick                                   1 kilogram of marijuana

·  Cadillac                              1 ounce

·  Can                                    1 ounce

·  Cartucho                             package of marijuana cigarettes

·  Check                                 personal supply of drugs

·  Cod                                     large amount of money

·  Coriander seeds                cash

·  Cotton                                 currency

·  Course note                       bill larger than $2 dollars

·  Cube                                   1 ounce

·  Deck                                   1-15 grams of heroin also known as a bag

·  Demo                                  sample size of crack

·  Deuce                                 $2 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Dews                                   $10 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Dime                                   $10 dollars’ worth of crack or other drugs

·  Dime bag                            $10 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Dime’s worth                      amount of heroin to cause death

·  Dollar                                  $100 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Doubie                                $20 dollars’ worth of crack rock

·  Double up                          $20 dollar rock can be broken into 2 $20 rocks

·  Dove                                   $35 dollar piece of crack

·  8 ball                                   1/8 ounce of drugs (often used all at once)

·  15 cents                              $15 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  5-cent bag                          $5 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  5C note                         $500 dollar bill

·  $5 bag                                 $50 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  G                                         $1,000 dollars or 1 gram of drugs

·  G rock                                 1 gram of rock cocaine

·  Grease                                currency

·  Green goods                      paper currency

·  Green stuff                         paper currency

·  Half                                     half ounce

·  Half of a C                          $50 dollar bill

·  Half of a football                50 rocks of crack

·  Half of a G                          $500 dollars

·  Half load                             15 bags or decks of heroin

·  Half piece                           ½ ounce of heroin or cocaine

·  Honey                                 currency

·  Kilo                                      2.2 pounds

·  Lid                                      1 ounce of marijuana

·  Load                                    25 bags of heroin

·  Matchbox                            ¼ ounce of marijuana or 6 marijuana cigarettes

·  Nichol bag                          $5 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Nichol note                         $5 dollar bill

·  1 box tissue                        1 ounce of crack

·  Paper bag                          container for drugs

·  Peewee                               $5 dollars’ worth of crack

·  Piece                                   1 ounce

·  Quarter                               ¼ ounce or $25 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Quarter bag                        $25 dollars’ worth of drugs

·  Quarter piece                     ¼ ounce

·  Sandwich bag                    $40 dollar bag of marijuana

·  Sixty-two                             2 ½ ounces of crack

·  Sniffer bag                          $5 dollar bag of heroin intended for inhalation

·  Spoon                                 ½ oz heroin used to prepare it for injection

·  Tray                                     $3 dollar bag of marijuana

·  Twenties                             $20 dollar vials or bags of crack

·  Two for nine                       Two $5 dollar vials or bags of crack for $9

·  Working 50                         crack rock weighing ½ gram or more

·  Working half                       crack rock weighing ½ gram or more

·  Z                                         1 ounce of heroin

·  4:20                                     not the time but a signal for marijuana use