COLUMBIA — Texting with emojis can be fun, but they can also be deadly.

The ❤️ emoji, often used to express affection or support, stands for the stimulant/psychedelic MDMA or ecstasy in the illegal drug world, according to law enforcement agents.

The canine image 🐶 means heroin and 🎱 cocaine , while 📱 denotes mobile orders. What looks like the sweet treat 🍪 signifies a large batch of drugs, with 🚀 being highly potent stuff.

Drug dealers and users — including some teens — have communicated via “emoji code” for years, but federal and state authorities are pushing for greater public awareness as street drugs become increasingly deadly. Download PDF

“Most parents, teachers or guardians would not suspect a drug transaction if they saw any of these emojis on their children's

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