The Drug Abuse Lexicon
Noticing the misuse of the term "junkie" below, it may be helpful to provide a little common slang, esp. for the Europeans around here. Feel free to translate and/or post terms for these specific addictions in your native tongue. (But keep these substances away from your tongue, and your nose, and....whatever.)
Junkie - first and foremost, a heroin addict; possibly a speed addict, but not an alcoholic.
Tweaker - Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, Crystal Meth addict; aka Speed Freak.
Coke head - as you would guess.
Pot head, dope head, stoner - marijuana. In high school the heavy smokers/partyers were called burnouts. In my day, high school kids did not do meth and certainly did not shoot up. Times have changed.
Crack head - as you would guess. This is what brought Whitney Houston down.
We don't hear much about crack these days; the party has moved on to meth, Fentanyl, and many weird blends. Very dangerous stuff.
I know a few people who work in hospital emergency rooms and it's a serous situation.
I can also understand how it feels to become chemically dependent, as I have a pretty strong sugar craving and do have to work to control it.
But I also work 60 hours a week these days, so I don't have time to be snorting elephant tranquilizers.
Here is someone who knew what he was taking about. If you listen, you will note the "junkie drawl" of his voice.
William S. Burroughs reading a passage from his book,
Junkie, on yagé
(Ayahuasca iowaska), telepathy, and junk.