What Do Drugs Look Like? A Visual Guide for Parents

Drugs today are often designed to look like candy, snacks, or even everyday items, making it increasingly difficult for parents to recognize them. Understanding what drugs look like, how they appear to youth, and their harm level, can help parents provide necessary support if they are concerned their teen is struggling with substance abuse. 

Read on to learn how to recognize what common drugs look like, the warning signs that a teen is using them, and strategies for having open conversations about drug use with teens. 

Why It’s Important to Know What Drugs Look Like 

Understanding what drugs look like, how they affect youth, and their real risks can help parents better educate their teens and prevent them from abusing substances. It can also reduce the use of “scare tactics” and provide a comprehensive understanding of drug use. Although we want to discourage teens from any kind of substance abuse, we must acknowledge that not all carry the same level of harm. 

For example, many teens may drink alcohol or smoke marijuana and never have any problems later on in life. However, just one time trying an opioid that is potentially laced with fentanyl could lead to overdose and death. 

Hidden in Plain Sight: How Teens Conceal Substances 

Teens sneak drugs into school, into the home, out with friends, often with some pretty creative and elaborate ways to do so. It’s important to respect your teens’ privacy and only investigate if you believe there is a serious cause for concern. Some of the common places that teens might hide drugs include: 

Everyday Items: 

• Pens, highlighters, and makeup containers hollowed out and used to stash drugs.
• Jewelry boxes, school supplies, or small containers modified with hidden compartments.
• Old medicine bottles, shaving cream containers, deodorants, or soda cans or bottles with false bottoms.
• Drug paraphernalia disguised as everyday objects, such as lipstick pipes, flower vase bongs, fake credit cards for cocaine. 

Vehicles:

• Under the seats of a car or the floor mats.
• Glove compartments or within door panels. 
• Hidden inside tires or less obvious places, such as air vents or in compartments in the trunk.

In Their Bedroom:

• Behind posters or picture frames, inside video game cases or boxes. 
• Under their bed, in dresser drawers, behind their bed frame, and in small compartments in furniture. 

What Do Various Drugs Look Like?

It’s helpful for parents to understand what common drugs look like, how to recognize the signs of use, and their harm level. Harm level ratings are based on a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) study that scored 20 drugs on several criteria, including physical harm, overdose risk, death rate, dependence, and social harm [1][2]. 

Marijuana 

Appearance: Marijuana, cannabis, or weed is still consumed in traditional ways such as a bong, joint, blunt, or pipe. However, THC wax, edibles, and vape oils have become increasingly popular among youth. Youth often vape cannabis in the form of a small wax pen, in the form of gummies or chocolate, or as an oil with a dropper to place under the tongue. 

Signs of Use: Glossy, red, or bloodshot eyes, increased appetite, sense of relaxation, euphoria or humor, lack of motivation, impaired memory, sudden academic decline.

Harm Level: 2

Alcohol

Appearance: Clear or colored liquid. Notice if liquor or beer bottles are missing from the home, or if bottles have been refilled with water.  

Signs of Use: Nausea, vomiting, memory loss or blacking out, headaches, migraines or other classic signs of a hangover, smelling alcohol on their breath, coming home visibly drunk. 

Harm Level: 7

Prescription Stimulants (“Study Drugs”)  

Appearance: Blue or white pressed pills or capsules. Common stimulants abused by youth to increase energy and productivity include Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Concerta. 

Signs of Use: Quick spike in energy or focus, dilated pupils, dry mouth, quick speech that can be difficult to follow, increased heart rate or blood pressure, trouble falling asleep, weight loss or lack of appetite.

Harm Level: 7

Nicotine 

Appearance: Commonly sold as vapes, which can resemble a USB drive or pen. Nicotine pouches, known as Zyns, are also common among youth; these look like little white pouches and go inside the cheek.  

Signs of Use: Dry, persistent cough, smelling tobacco or random fruity flavors, gum disease.

Harm Level: 3

Opioids 

Appearance: Small prescription pills or capsules that vary in size or color. Synthetic opioids such as heroin and fentanyl may come in the form of a white powder, pressed tablet, or brown sticky resin. 

Signs of Use: Needles, bottle caps, and foil for injection, slowed breathing, reduced heart rate, mental confusion, lack of consciousness.

Harm Level: 9

Benzodiazepines 

Appearance: Small prescription pills or capsules that vary in size and color. Common benzodiazepines include Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium.  

Signs of Use: Euphoria, relaxation, lowered heart rate, dizziness, slurred speech, lack of coordination, muscle weakness.

Harm Level: 8

Cocaine  

Appearance: Most often sold in the form of a white powder. 

Signs of Use: Credit or debit cards or straws, sudden spike in energy, restless legs or inability to sit still, irritability or aggression, dilated pupils, dry mouth, rapid, slurred speech that can be difficult to follow, increased heart rate or blood pressure, trouble falling asleep, weight loss or lack of appetite. 

Harm Level: 8

Inhalants  

Appearance: Household products such as glue, hairspray, computer cleaner, and paint thinner. More common among younger teens who are curious about drug experimentation. 

Signs of Use: Chemical smell on breath, dizziness, slurred speech, red, watery, itchy eyes or nose, nausea, vomiting, in some cases, paint or chemical burns around the mouth.

Harm Level: 8

LSD

Appearance: Small squares of paper (blotter) with colorful images, sugar cubes, gelatin squares, or clear liquid in small containers with droppers. 

Signs of Use: Altered perception of time, space, and colors, large dilated pupils, the giggles, increased heart rate or body temperature, inability to sleep, lack of appetite, irregular mood, in high doses paranoia, delusions, or hallucinations. 

Harm Level: 4

MDMA

Appearance: MDMA may be in pill, crystal, or capsule form. They may be pressed into colorful pills shaped like animals or nature (trees, flowers, mushrooms), sold as a pure white powder that resembles cocaine, or in a clear capsule form. 

Signs of Use: Teeth clenching or grinding, dry mouth and excessive thirst, tingling skin sensations, enhanced sensory perception, eyes may look like they are “rolling”, muscle tension or nausea, may show signs of odd changes in personality (lack of response to external stimuli or being overly responsive), mild confusion, increased positivity and intense feelings of happiness, pleasure or love. 

Harm Level: 6

Magic Mushrooms 

Appearance: Psilocybin mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms, have be dried or in other edible forms. Dried appearance looks like a typical mushroom, while edible forms might look like candy bars, gummies, or even smoothies.  

Signs of Use: Dry mouth, thirst, yawning, altered perception of reality and time, increased sensory perception, delusions or hallucinations, intense euphoria, nausea, anxiety, or vomiting, detachment from body or surroundings, or the opposite, an intense feeling of connectedness to the earth and nature.

Harm Level: 3

Popular Slang Terms for Drugs 

As youth, drug, and media culture evolve, so does the language for drugs. Times have changed. For example, what heroin users used to refer to as a “bag of dope”, “fire”, or “gas” are now popular terms used for cannabis.

Here are a few slang terms for popular drugs used among youth and young adults:  

• Cannabis: Bud, weed, pot, dope, gas (“good weed”), mid (“bad weed), fattie (blunt), penjamin (weed pen).
• Stimulants (Pills): Speed, addy, uppers, dexies. 
• Opioids: Oxy, percs, roxy, hillbilly heroin, vikes. 
• Benzodiazepines: Benzos, beans, zannies, downers, pandas, blue angels.
• Cocaine: Coke, blow, snow, white landy, nose candy, rail (a large line of cocaine), bump (a small hit of cocaine).
• Methamphetamine: Meth, crystal meth, crystal, ice, crank. 
• Inhalants: Whippets, poppers, laughing gas, moon gas. 
• LSD: Acid, tabs, Lucy, tripping (using a psychedelic like LSD, magic mushrooms, or MDMA).
• Ecstasy (MDMA): Molly, MD, E, candyflipping (taking MDMA with other drugs such as LSD to exacerbate effects).
• Magic Mushrooms: Shrooms.

How to Approach Your Teen Without Panic 

If you recognize the warning signs of drug or alcohol use in your teen, it’s normal to feel concerned. Substance use in adolescents can impair brain development and essential regions of the brain that control cognitive functions such as mood, emotions, attention, learning, and memory. 

However, it’s important to stay calm. Many teens are resistant to getting treatment, so approach the situation with care. There are several reasons why teens abuse drugs, and exploring the reasons behind your teen’s use in a kind, compassionate, and non-judgmental approach is the best first step before encouraging them to get treatment. Here are a few tips:

• Actively listen to their challenges. Avoid chiming in and offer validation for their struggles. 

• Ask open, engaging, non-judgmental questions. Avoid questions like “Do you realize how stupid this is?” and opt for questions such as “What made you start using drugs?” or “What do you like about getting high? Do you have an interest in stopping?”. 

• Be clear about your concerns. Use “I” language rather than placing the focus or blame on them. Ex: “I love you and am worried about your health. I want to see you happy and healthy.” 

• Avoid scare tactics, but provide the facts. Show them what long-term drug use is linked to and can do (e.g., dental decay, scabbing, homelessness, jail, death).

• Use an “amnesty” approach (focusing on forgiveness) and encourage your teen to reach out in times of need during risky situations without fear of punishment. 

• Explore your teen’s perspective on treatment, therapy, and recovery. Begin the conversation about them getting professional help. If they show resistance, it may be necessary to stage an intervention. 

• An intervention often involves several family members, friends, or loved ones of a youth, as well as a professional mental health counselor to help facilitate the session. Loved ones express why they want to see the teen improve and how enrolling in treatment can help achieve that goal. Seeing this kind of united support and accountability from multiple people they trust often works with many youth to accept treatment.   

• If an intervention and the steps above do not work, many states do allow parents to involuntarily place their teen into a rehab center if they believe they are putting themselves or others at risk. 

Education and Support for Teens and Their Families in Texas 

Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health facilities in Texas committed to helping teens recover from behavioral addictions, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. We understand the importance of teaching parents how to recognize and prevent substance abuse in youth. 

If you think your teen is struggling with substance abuse, reach out to our team, and we can support your family.  

Sources 

[1] Nutt, David J. et al. 2010. Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet, Volume 376, Issue 9752, 1558 – 1565. 

[2] McNeedly, J. et al.  2024. Substance Use Screening, Risk Assessment, and Use Disorder Diagnosis in Adults. Clinical Guidelines Program. National Library of Medicine.