chase the dragon

Also found in: Wikipedia.

chase the dragon

slang To smoke a controlled substance, often heroin. I can't chase the dragon anymore—I'm trying to get away from that stuff.

chase the dragon

take heroin (sometimes mixed with another smokable drug) by heating it in tinfoil and inhaling the fumes through a tube or roll of paper.

Chase the dragon is reputedly a translation from Chinese. The expression apparently refers to the undulating movements of the fumes up and down the tinfoil, resembling those of the tail of a dragon, a creature found in many Chinese myths.

chase the dragon

tv. to inhale opium fumes through a straw, or similarly with other drugs. (Drugs.) Harry thinks that chasing the dragon sounds like real fun.

See also: chase, dragon

See also:

References in periodicals archive ?

'After your first hit you're hooked and you always try to chase the dragon to get that feeling again.'

Samantha Chronicles: The Seduction

She becomes consumed by the need to "chase the dragon"-the heroin addiction that seems to keep the Darkness at bay, but leads her to live on the street.

Breaking Faith

As long as there are buyers there will be dealers and as long as there are desperately ill people who seeK solace in oblivion there will be people only too happy to help them chase the dragon.

Hoffman tragedy is just far too common

The Dragon Steps story begins with a dragon egg hatching in a museum full of curious children who then chase the dragon and get into a whole host of exciting situations.

One small step for dragons... FESTIVAL Take a leap of faith with Dragon Steps, a fun way to explore Juice Festival, as Leah Chan explains

Sibal also had the final word on the topic: " It's not about whether we should chase the dragon. We should face the dragon."

Chinese dragon gets policy wonks put on thinking cap

She said she had been taught how to "chase the dragon" - burn the drug and smoke it through tinfoil.

ONLY NINE; EXCLUSIVE Heroin girl, 11, caught by police 2 years ago ONLY A BABY Her two-month-old brother born an addict

She was then taught how to "chase the dragon", smoking the drug from tinfoil.

HEROIN ADDICT AGED 11; Girl collapses at school

with slashed chest; Pete helps an adoring girl to 'chase the dragon'; Dangerous games as a fan flashes a knife at Pete; Pete's kinky cross-dressing

Pied Piper; MUTILATION, ORGIES, DRUGS.. INSIDE PETE DOHERTY'S DEBAUCHED WORLD

"The Hippie Dictionary" isn't the sort of book a grandpa would necessarily want to leave out for the grandkids to see, however, considering the number of entries concerning drugs - bindle, bam, chase the dragon, grasshopper - not to mention sex - merkin, root, leg over, plow - to name a handful we can list in a family newspaper.

Contributions to hippie culture fail to make the cut

In a simple Chinese game called "Chase the Dragon's Tail," players almost look like that wiggling and winding dragon.

Cool games: from long ago and far away

The seventies-formed band had their most notable success during their early years with hits including Chase The Dragon in 1982.

Magnum show their metal

The ten new songs on The Visitation are now added to an already formidable array of back catalogue material to choose from, dating right back to their 1978 debut, Kingdom Of Madness, and including the likes of 1982's Chase The Dragon and 1990's Goodnight To LA.

Magnum return with a message; Music

The relationship began on the third studio album, Chase The Dragon, released in 1982.

Music: Brummies are really hot stuff; MAGNUM TOMORROW: Carling Academy Birmingham. Tickets: 0844 477 2000