Drug Identification

Updated 2022

Introduction

The Boise Police Department (BPD) is committed to enforcing drug laws and providing the community with drug education programs. This is meant as a guide for parents, educators and the general public to the drug enforcement units and drug education resources offered through BPD.

Opioids

Pharmaceuticals

Abuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem among young people in the Boise area and nationwide; these drugs are very dangerous. Usually, young people may steal the drugs from parents or others or forge prescriptions. The drugs may be taken orally, or crushed and injected or snorted to get high. Common drugs that Boise Police find abused in our area include: Ritalin, Dexedrine, OxyContin, Darvon, Vicodin and Valium.

You want to look for a single pill or groups of pills mixed together in unmarked bottles or baggies, not professionally packaged.

Paraphernalia

  • dirty spoons and needles
  • dirty cotton swabs (used to clean the spoon)
  • dirty cotton balls (used as filters for shooting up)
  • mini torches with butane fuel (used to heat up the spoon)
  • snort tubes piece of cut straw, hollow tube of a pen, may have residue inside.
  • Storage: Empty pill bottles or small containers.

Parent Resources

Drug Bibles books that contain photos or pills, available at libraries or local books stores. For more information or help, please contact the Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl and fentanyl related compounds such as carfentaniland acetyl fentanyl are synthetic opioids. Drugs in this group have varying but often very high levels of potency. In recent years they have become more widely available in the United States and grown as a threat to public safety. It only takes a very small amount of fentanyl or its derivatives- which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin or mucus membranes (such as being inhaled through the nose or mouth)- to result in severe adverse reactions. As a consequence, not only are users exposed to danger, but so are others who encounter them including the general public, first responders and law enforcement. Fentanyl has become much more common in Boise in the past year.  We have seen a significant increase in powdered fentanyl and in the number of pressed pills.

Drug Overdose Signs and Symptoms

The misuse of opioids, including prescription drugs and heroin, is one of the most serious public health problems in the United States.

If someone is experiencing even a few of these drug overdose symptoms, call 911 immediately

  • Sleepiness or unresponsive
  • Breathing slowly or not at all
  • Slow heartbeat or low blood pressure
  • Cold, clammy skin
  • Small, pinpoint pupils
  • Blue nails and lips
  • Choking, gurgling or snoring sounds

Idaho's Good Samaritan Law

This law provides protections to people acting in good faith who seek medical assistance for either themselves or someone else because of a drug-related medical emergency. Under the law, that person shall not be charged with possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, or use of a controlled substance (Idaho Law 37-2739C).

Narcan

Narcan is a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose. In Idaho, anyone with a valid reason can ask for a prescription for Narcan from a physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacist. Narcan does not need to be intended for your own use (Idaho Law 54-1733B).

25i Synthetic Drug

This synthetically produced drug does not show up as frequently as it used to in Boise. It is often compared to LSD.

What to look for

The drug is often found in a powder form and may be inhaled, injected, snorted, or distributed in a capsule or pill form. 25i may also be used in its liquid form blotted out on the back of stamps or pieces of paper similar to the way LSD is often distributed.

Slang terms

  • Dime
  • NBOME
  • 25C
  • DOB

Heroin

Heroin abuse is something Boise Police are finding among users as young as high school age, although the percentage of high school age heroin users is estimated to be very, very small

What to look for

Heroin is delivered in tiny pieces of small, colorful toy balloons with the drug wrapped tightly inside. Occasionally it may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or foil. A typical user amount of heroin is only the size of a pencil eraser. Tiny bits of plastic, balloons, burned foil or used syringes may be found discarded by users in trash cans.

Slang terms

  • Chiva (cheeva)
  • Black

Paraphernalia

  • syringes
  • burned spoons
  • dirty cotton balls or Q-tips
  • tie bands (used to tie around an arm before injecting)

Heroin can be smoked in pipes, but narcotics officers don't find much of that in this area.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Marijuana

Boise Police find marijuana is probably the most widely used illegal drug in the valley.

What to look for

Marijuana is often kept in baggies. Users may have stickers with the numbers 420, which means time to smoke, or 840, double the high. Clocks may be set to these 4:20 or 8:40. Users may have clothing or posters with marijuana or hemp symbols, or bong on t-shirts and clothing.

Slang terms

  • Chronic
  • Dank
  • Weed
  • Bud
  • Green

When high on marijuana, users say someone is baked.

Paraphernalia

  • pipes
  • bongs
  • scales
  • rolling papers
  • scales
  • Glass pipes are popular. Pipes and bongs may be bought or homemade.

Storage

  • zip-lock baggies (found with residue)
  • wooden boxes
  • film canisters
  • other unique small storage containers

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Meth

Boise Police find meth is one of the most dangerous, widespread drugs abused in our area. Users often begin by snorting the drug, then smoke it, then injected. Crystal Meth is popular now and marketed as more pure, but in reality is no different than colored meth.

What to look for

A clear, white or brown powder, white or brown chunky material, or white crystals often kept in zip-lock baggies. Users may have 8-Ball symbols on clothing, key chains or posters. Users may wear ball caps with a "CR" symbol. Users may discard corners of sandwich baggies or grocery bags with small bits ripped off, as well as bits of straws heat sealed at the ends.

Slang terms

  • Shards (like shards of glass)
  • Crank, Crystal
  • CR
  • Powder
  • Meth users are Tweekers
  • Meth is often bought in a T or Teener (1/16th  oz.), or an 8 Ball (1/8th oz.).

Paraphernalia

  • meth pipes are often made of thin glass and may have dark residue inside
  • mini torches (not lighters) and butane fuel or propane bottles (the type used for camp stoves)
  • snort tubes piece of cut straw, hollow tube of a pen, may have residue inside
  • Needless
  • syringes
  • dirty spoons and cotton
  • scales

Storage

Meth materials are often kept in purple Crown Royal Bags, or other small storage containers, zip-lock baggies with residue.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Cocaine

Boise Police has seen an increase in powder cocaine in the past couple of years.  In the past year it has become more common for all drug types (including cocaine) to be laced with fentanyl.

What to look for

Cocaine is a white, flaky, almost shiny powder (more like flour than meth), often kept tightly wrapped in plastic bags or baggies. May also be tightly wrapped in small pieces of balloons. Rock Cocaine (for smoking) looks like waxy dried white or almond-colored bread.

Slang terms

  • White
  • Yeah
  • Coca
  • Cola
  • Yola

Paraphernalia

  • very small spoons
  • small mirrors with razor blades
  • snort tubes rolled dollar bills
  • piece of cut straw
  • hollow tube of a pen
  • dealers will use scales for measurement

Storage

Plastic baggies or glass vials, snuff-type dispensers with tiny spoons attached.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

LSD

LSD is not common in the Boise area, but can be easy to conceal. Like other club drugs, Boise Police find LSD may be distributed at parties.

What to look for

Look for tiny, pills-sized papers. A drop of liquid LSD is put on a tiny piece of paper that users put in their mouth. Users will discard stained paper that may be wrapped in foil. Liquid breath freshener bottles with dispensers can be emptied out and filled with LSD. Drops are hits. LSD can be put on candy - look for discolored candy wrapped in foil.

Slang terms

  • Acid
  • Fry
  • When a user is high on acid, they're frying.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens are club drugs. Pills are often sold or given out at bars, parties or raves (underground parties). One pill is usually a dose for the night.

Ecstasy / Molly

Ecstasy usually refers to a drug that comes in pill form that has been cut with other ingredients and can range from the somewhat innocuous substances of sugar or caffeine to potentially more harmful drugs such as ketamine or methamphetamine.

Molly is described as a pure powder form that is often snorted through the nasal passages, making it more difficult to dose than the pill form of ecstasy.

Molly has developed a reputation as being of higher quality and more costly than ecstasy pills. Though this is not necessarily a deserved reputation, as molly can be also be cut with fillers or other potential drugs at any time in the process since it is in a powder form.

Ecstasy pills are not as easily tampered with after they have been made (at the beginning of the drug supply chain) because they are pressed into shapes and stamped. However, while some pills have a "good" reputation, there can be significant variations among pills with the same stamp based on region and time differences.

What to look for

Look for pills with pop culture icons printed on them. Popular icons include a crown, dollar signs, mickey mouse, designer logos like CK. Users will often suck on baby pacifiers.

Slang terms

  • Molly (in powder form)
  • E
  • E-tard
  • E-Bomb (when taken with Vics Vapor Rub to enhance the high)
  • Double stack when pills are doubled up.

Storage

Pills are often kept in baggies or other containers so they're not crushed or broken.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a hallucinogen that can be used alone, or treated with LSD. Dried mushrooms often smell bad.

What to look for

Look for dried mushrooms in plastic baggies. May be found with LSD or marijuana.

Slang term

Shrooms

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