# Emoji used as code

Some emoji carry hidden meanings in messages about drugs, sex or threats. Context is everything: most of the time they mean exactly what they show. These are the best documented:

| Emoji | Coded meaning | How it's used | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| ❄️ | cocaine ("snow") | Listed by the DEA for cocaine and in TikTok algospeak research; "Snow" and "Snowflake" are cocaine slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Emojipedia notes it is used far more for cold weather and winter, so it needs drug context to mean anything. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| ⛄ | cocaine | Listed by the DEA for cocaine, and a UK police guide reported in 2022 also listed a snowman. Usually about winter, snow days and holidays. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.quotidiano.net/luce/lifestyle/il-mondo-segreto-delle-emoticon-dietro-alle-innocenti-icone-digitali-riferimenti-a-droghe-e-sesso-ecncxzss |
| 🔑 | cocaine (a kilogram, "key") | Listed by the DEA for cocaine; the DEA's 2018 slang reference lists "llave" (Spanish for key) for one kilogram. Usually about keys, access, home or something important. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🐉 | heroin (also fentanyl) | Listed by the DEA for heroin; "Dragon" is listed as slang for both heroin and fentanyl in the DEA's 2018 reference. Common for fantasy, games, Lunar New Year and the zodiac. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 💊 | pills sold illegally: counterfeit Percocet/oxycodone, Xanax or Adderall, or MDMA | The DEA lists 💊 under Percocet and oxycodone, Xanax, Adderall and MDMA, and warns that fake prescription pills sold on social media are commonly laced with fentanyl or methamphetamine. Most uses are about medicine, vitamins and health, so look for it alongside dealer signals such as 🔌, prices or quantities. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/digital-payment-platforms-can-easily-be-misused-drug-dealing-researchers-suggest |
| 🅿️ | Percocet ("percs") | Listed by the DEA for Percocet and oxycodone; "Percs" is Percocet slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually means parking or simply the letter P. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🍫 | Xanax (alprazolam) "bars" | Listed by the DEA for Xanax, whose tablets are called "Bars" in the DEA's 2018 slang reference. Usually just chocolate or snacks. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🔵 | counterfeit oxycodone/Percocet pills ("blues") | Listed by the DEA for Percocet and oxycodone, and the DEA's 2018 slang reference lists "Blues" for both oxycodone and fentanyl. Blue circles are otherwise everyday color, team and status markers. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🍬 | MDMA ("candy") | Listed by the DEA for MDMA; "Candy" is slang for MDMA and for cocaine in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually about sweets, Halloween and treats. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🍄 | psilocybin ("magic") mushrooms | Listed by the DEA for mushrooms. Common for cooking, foraging, nature, fantasy and video games. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf |
| 🍇 | cough syrup misused as a drug ("lean", "purple drank") | Listed by the DEA for cough syrup; "Lean", "Purple Drank" and "Sizzurp" are promethazine slang in the DEA's 2018 reference. Usually about fruit, wine or the color purple. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🍁 | drugs in general (often cannabis) | The DEA lists 🍁 as "universal for drugs"; Emojipedia notes its cannabis use is more stylistic than secretive and its use for other drugs is limited. Its main uses are autumn, nature and Canada. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://blog.emojipedia.org/the-times-emoji-explainer/ |
| 🔌 | drug dealer or supplier ("plug") | Listed by the DEA in dealer advertising; "Plug" is listed as slang for a drug source of supply in the DEA's 2018 reference. Also used literally for chargers, power and electricity. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 💰 | drug dealer advertising (money) | Listed by the DEA among emoji used in dealer advertising. Commonly used for money, saving, prices and business. | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf |
| 🔥 | marijuana; also drug purity | Listed by the DEA for marijuana ("Fire" is slang for marijuana, meth and fentanyl in the DEA's 2018 reference) and used in a UK police guide's drug-purity scale. It is one of the most common emoji for "great", "hot" or "trending". | https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/Emoji%20Decoded.pdf https://www.dea.gov/documents/2018/07/01/2018-slang-terms-and-code-words |
| 🍆 | sexual innuendo: penis | The best-established sexual emoji: Instagram blocked the 🍆 hashtag for a time in 2015, studies list it among the most-used emoji in sexts, and Facebook and Instagram said in 2019 they remove it when paired with requests for sex or nude images. Food uses exist but are less common than the innuendo. | https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/facebook-instagram-ban-sexual-use-of-eggplant-peach-sweat-drops-emojis/ https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2019/02/12/will-u-b-my/ |
| 🍑 | sexual innuendo: buttocks | Widely used for buttocks in flirting, sexting and fitness posts; Emojipedia reported that in 2016 only about 7% of uses referred to the fruit. Treat it as sexual only alongside other sexual signals such as 🍆 or 💦. | https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/facebook-instagram-ban-sexual-use-of-eggplant-peach-sweat-drops-emojis/ https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/emojis-sex-study-ubc_a_23668905 |
| 💦 | sexual innuendo: ejaculation or arousal | Researchers found it among the most common emoji in sexually suggestive messages, and TikTok algospeak research lists it for ejaculation. Very often it just means sweat, water, rain or hard work. | https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2019/02/12/will-u-b-my/ https://www.huffpost.com/archive/ca/entry/emojis-sex-study-ubc_a_23668905 |
| 🌽 | pornography ("corn" for "porn") | Documented TikTok algospeak: 🌽 replaces "porn" to slip past filters, and 🌽⭐ means "pornstar". Usually just corn, food and harvest. | https://aclanthology.org/2024.woah-1.10.pdf https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051231194586 |
| 🔫 | gun; threat of shooting | Used in posts that led to criminal charges, such as a 2015 Virginia school-threat case (🔫, 🔪 and 💣 with "meet me in the library") and a 2015 New York case with guns pointed at a police-officer emoji; courts weigh context and intent. Since 2016-2018 most platforms draw it as a toy water pistol, and joking use is common. | https://time.com/4241846/emoji-crimes/ https://theconversation.com/how-the-law-responds-when-emoji-are-the-weapon-of-choice-88552 |

The full list (76 entries with severity, false-positive risk, combinations and sources, updated monthly) is sold to apps and safety teams: $49 a month or $490 a year.

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Emoji Chart: https://emojichart.com/emoji-codes