Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US drugs) a cocaine user.

1933

(ref. to late 19C) C.W. Willemse A Cop Remembers 125: Have you ever heard of ‘Burny blowers’? [...] ‘Burny’ was a mixture of snuff and cocaine and the addict carried a piece of rubber hose through which he sniffed the stuff by placing one end in his nose and the other in his mouth, blowing the dope as far as possible up the nose.