Street slang — drugs & substances

This theme groups Dutch street-slang terms relating to drugs, substances and the selling side of the trade. It covers names for the substances themselves (sosa/wit for cocaine, snoepjes for ecstasy (XTC), ganja/jonko for cannabis or a joint) and roles within the trade (clannies — customers in the drug world). The terms appear in youth language as in-group language, but clustering around substances and dealing has signal value for substance use or involvement in selling.

A single term says little — snoepjes or ganja may be ironic or quoted. Look for a pattern: substance language together with dealing terms (seren — selling, hosselen — earning money on the street), with clannies (customers), or with behavioural signals such as unexplained money, changing contacts and meet-ups at locations. A combination with cocaine/ecstasy terms and selling shifts the picture from use to a possible dealing role.

• Distinguish signals of use from involvement in selling; each calls for a different route.
• If substance use is suspected: discuss care concerns and involve youth care/addiction care where needed.
• If a dealing role or recruitment is suspected: flag it and discuss with colleagues, escalate to the care and safety consultation (zorg- en veiligheidsoverleg).
• Have the conversation in an open and non-judgemental way; ask about context, not about isolated words.

These meanings are never fixed. Street slang varies by young person, friendship group, region, platform and context. A term is never proof in itself, but it can be a signal when it fits within a broader pattern of language use, behaviour, posts, contacts and offline signals. Use this overview as a tool for identifying concerns, not as an instrument of proof.

• straattaal_betekenissen.docx (table "Straattaal - betekenis", columns woord/betekenis)