This is our version of a guide published by the DEA in 2022. They did a great job deciphering what emojis correlated to drug names on social media and in digital communication. Our version not only expands upon the sheer number of emojis but goes into what they mean and some of their origins.
We have scoured the web, interviewed former addicts, and researched social media to come up with the most up to date list of drug related emojis. This is meant for concerned loved ones of addicts and alcoholics that come across a drug emoji they are not familiar with.
Drug terminology is constantly changing, and so are emojis. Drugs are called different slang names in different areas of the country and the world. In South Jersey, NYC and PA, “dope” means heroin. In other areas of the country “dope” means any kind of drug, or sometimes it can mean marijuana aka “smoking dope.”
Also note that a lot of these emojis can be cross used. The 💊 pill emoji can mean many different things, but if you see it you know it is not good.
If you are interested in the downloading the PDF version of this guide you can do so here.
Cocaine
🐡 blowfish (because it is called blow)
💎 diamond
🎱 eight ball – or 1/8th of an ounce of cocaine, a popular amount of
🔑 key – a kilo of cocaine
🌨️ ❄️ ⛄ – anything snow related can mean cocaine
*note you might see 💨🚬+🎱 for crack cocaine.
Heroin
Heroin not only has many different names but can look very different. In the NE USA it mostly comes in $10 (now also $5) wax paper bags. In Baltimore, glass vials. In the Western USA you might find tar heroin in balloons that looks like tar. It is mostly injected, commonly snorted and sometimes smoked.
And as of 2024/2025 anytime heroin is mentioned you have to assume it is laced with fentanyl or is purely fentanyl.
🐉🐍🐲 – dragon or chasing the dragon
💉 needle for IV injecting heroin
🐴🐎 sometimes called horse
🍫 a chocolate bar which is brown
🤎 heroin is brown, brown heart
🐶🐕 sometimes called dog food
🥡 Chinese food box maybe associated with “china white” type of heroin
🖤 black heart for black tar heroin
Codeine Cough Syrup / Drank / Purple / Lean
Since this drug is commonly mixed with purple juice or purple soda, anything purple can mean codeine cough syrup. There are many different formulas used to make lean and like almost every other drug these days can contain fentanyl instead of or in addition to codeine. The meanings for this can vary greatly depending on where you live in the country.
🍇 grapes
💜 purple heart
🍼 baby bottle
🔮a purple crystal ball
(a lot of times anything purple)
Fentanyl or “fent”
🐌 – snail used because it “slows you down” or slows down your heart rate
💊 – pill emoji
💉 – IV / needle since fentanyl is commonly injected but also snorted, smoked, or taken orally
Marijuana
Any kind of leaf, tree, herb can be associated with marijuana. There are many different emojis used for marijuana.
🌲 evergreen tree
🍀 four leaf clover
🚬 joint
🌴 palm tree
🌿 plant
🌿 Herb
🥦 Broccoli
🌳 Deciduous Tree
🍁 Maple Leaf
🍃 Leaf Fluttering in Wind
🧘♂️ – person in the “lotus” position
🔥 for lighting up
THC extract, THC Edibles and Cartridges
Lots of names for this: shards, oil, etc. Since the legalization of marijuana, THC can look like almost anything.
🍯 honey is another name for THC extract
🐝 the honey bee aka honey
🧈 butter is another name for this
🕯️ a candle, aka wax
💧 drip emoji. Keep in mind the drip emoji can have many meanings including sexual or even “fashionable” in hype beast culture
🍭 edibles can come in lollipop form
🍬 they can also come in candy form
🛒the shopping cart is used for vape carts, usually THC vapes but sometimes CBD or Tobacco
LSD / acid
Acid usually comes in blotter sheets (tiny pieces of paper or cardboard) that sometimes have pop culture art on them, or can be plain or with patterns. It can also be consumed with liquid or in pills.
💠 this looks like a square blotter but it is the diamond emoji
👅 acid blotter or liquid typically goes on your tongue
👽 the alien face is associated with LSD
🌈 rainbows and colors are associated with visuals you see when you are high
🌠 shooting star emoji related to visual
Methamphetamine (meth)
Meth can come in various colors, but ever since the TV show Breaking Bad a lot of blueish hued emojis are associated with meth. Also referred to as ice, glass, etc.
💙 blue heart – blue meth
🔮 crystal ball – meth is called “crystal” sometimes
💎 diamond – since it looks like ice
🧪 test tube – since this drug is made in a lab
🧊 ice cube – it looks like ice
(MDMA) and Molly / Ecstasy
A lot of names for this, sometimes called X. This drug can look like many different things and comes in many different formats so these emojis are always changing.
🍬 candy – in the 90s ecstasy was called candy as it was one of the first drugs to actually look like candy
❌ cross mark for X
⚡ lightning bolt
💊 pill
❤️ red heart
Adderall
Adderall is a popular drug for young people and college students but is used by almost everyone throughout the world. We’ve seen book emojis used since this drug makes you work harder.
🚆 A-Train aka Adderal
💊 pill
⏰ can be used because it signifies staying awake
Oxycodone (OxyContin) or “Oxy” (Percocet / Percodan brand name)
A lot of the time called “blues” you may see blue emojis associated with these. Also called percs, perks, or oxys.
🍌 banana – not sure where this came from, but it is used
🔵 blue circle – the emoji looks like a blue pill
🅿️ P button – P for Percocet
💊 pill
🆚 Vicodin – not Oxy but same category
Inhalants
Huffing gas, computer dust off, magic markers can all be huffed for a quick/cheap high.
⛽ the gas pump may be used for huffing
🌬️ Wind face can symbolize inhalation
💨 Dashing away often represents the act of inhaling
🧴 Lotion bottle sometimes symbolizes aerosol products
🔄 Counterclockwise arrows suggesting circular breathing or repetitive inhalation
Benzodiazepines or “benzos” such as Xanax
A lot of “X” emojis are used for this, not to be confused with X in Ecstasy
🍫 chocolate bar for “zanny bars”
💊 pill
🍫 aka “zanny bars” from the chocolate bar emoji
🛋️ they put you to sleep
🏈 certain Xanax pills are shaped like footballs and are also called footballs
🚌 because they make you feel like you’ve been hit by a bus
❎❌ any kind of X emoji
Drug Dealer Emojis
Drug dealers use a lot of different terminology and emojis to advertise, and it is constantly changing. Some dealers make up their own emojis and they are regionally used, sometimes they trend and take off on a national level.
📱 this just means to call or text the dealer
⛽ gas or “meet at gas station”
🪂 parachute – drugs coming your way
📦 shipping box – a package of drugs
🤙 call me
👑 crown
💵 dollar bill
💰 money bag
🤑 money-mouth face
🔌 plug – a plug is a really popular term popularized by hip hop music
🏚️ trap house or stash house. A trap house is just a house where a drug dealer sells drugs out of. A stash house is a house where drugs are stored.
🔑 a kilo of drugs or 2.2lbs of drugs
🍪 cookie or batch of cookies for “batch”
👜 bag aka “get the bag” used for money in hip hop culture
📦 package or “pack”
Being High / What Being High Feels Like
💥 collision – really good high
💣 bomb “the bomb” or really good high / really good batch of drugs
🚀 rocket really good high
😶🍳 smiley face with no mouth and cooked egg (cooked)
😌💨 sad face and puff of smoke (not a good high, weak drugs)
😳🔥 surprised face and flame
😳🍃 surprised smiley face and leaves
😮💨 Face Exhaling / Blowing Smoke Out
😶🌫️ Face in Clouds / Really High
🛋️ “couched” or “passed out”
💤 passed out
Some emojis that you might see associated with drinking / alcohol / hard liquor / wine
🍺 – Beer mug
🍻 – Clinking beer mugs
🍷 – Wine glass
🥂 – Clinking glasses (often used for toasts)
🥃 – Tumbler glass (often represents whiskey or spirits)
🍸 – Cocktail glass
🍹 – Tropical drink
🍾 – Bottle with popping cork (often signifies celebration)
🧊 – Ice cube (often used in relation to drinks)
🍇 – Grapes (symbolic of wine production)
🥤 – Cup with a straw (can represent any beverage). The red solo cup is a very popular cup for drinking games like beer pong.
🌊 – Water wave (sometimes used in beach or pool party contexts)
🍋 – Lemon (often used in cocktails)
🍊 – Orange (another common cocktail ingredient)
🍏 – Green apple (can represent flavored drinks or cocktails)
🌴 – Palm tree (often associated with tropical drinks)
🎉 – Party popper (representing celebrations where drinks are served)
🤪 – Zany face (can symbolize a party mood)
😜 – Winking face with tongue (can represent a playful or fun drinking atmosphere)
💃 – Woman dancing (often associated with nightlife and drinking)
Other emojis associated with drug culture that don’t fit into one specific category
🚬 – Cigarette (sometimes linked to smoking substances)
⚗️ – Alembic (often symbolizes drug production or chemistry)
🔥 – Fire (can symbolize smoking or the burning of substances)
🧪 – Test tube (often linked to drug chemistry)
💉 – Syringe (commonly associated with injectable drugs)
🌈 – Rainbow (sometimes refers to ecstasy or other party drugs)
🧙♂️ – Mage (can symbolize magical or mind-altering experiences)
🔮 – Crystal ball (often linked to mystical experiences or certain substances)
🎉 – Party popper (can represent the party culture surrounding drug use)
🔊 – Speaker (associated with music festivals where drugs are often used)
🌌 – Milky Way (can evoke feelings of euphoria or transcendence)
🏴☠️ – Pirate flag (sometimes linked to a rebellious or underground lifestyle)
🍭 – Lollipop (can refer to candy-flavored drugs, like certain ecstasy pills)
🦄 – Unicorn (often used to represent something rare or ‘magical’ in drug culture)
