DESIGNER DRUGS

Ever heard of "fake marijuana" or "legal speed"? These are the new designer drugs and kids don't really know what they are taking. To find out more, read the Project Alert newsletter. http://www.projectalert.com/newsletters/spring-2011/designer-drugs-fashion-goes-synthetic

34 WARNING Signs of Drug Use

If you are suspicious your child may be using drugs, don't ignore the warning signs. Children seldom grasp the concepts of addiction. Most view themselves as imperious to peril. For some teens, the stress of adolescence and pressure from their peers is overwhelming, and drugs become an enticing escape from their real world.

1. Neglected appearance/hygiene
2. Poor self image
3. Grades dropping
4. Violent outbursts at home
5. Frequent use of Eye Wash
6. Unexplained weight drop
7. Drug Paraphernalia
8. Slurred speech
9. Curfew violations
10. Running away
11. Skin abrasions
12. Hostility towards family members
13. Chemical breath
14.Glassy eyes
15.Red eyes
16.Valuables Missing
17. Possessing unexplained valuables
18. Stealing/borrowing money
19.Change in friends
20. Depression
21. Withdrawal
22.Apathy
23.Reckless Behavior
24.No Concern about future
25. Defiles Family Values
26. Disrespectful to parents
27. Lying/Deception
28. Sneaky behavior
29. Disregards Consequences
30. Loss of Interest in healthy activities
31. Verbally abusive
32. Manipulative/Self-Centered
33. Lack of Motivation
34. Truancy

What are the symptoms and warning signs of drug abuse?

Share with your family - kids need to know what goes on around them among their peers or others they may encounter throughout young adulthood. Knowing if a person is on drugs may help deal with risky situations. It's never too early to talk.

Signs that indicate a person is intoxicated or "high" on a drug depends on the substance with which he or she is intoxicated and include:
Tobacco products: frequent smell of tobacco, irritability, discolored fingertips, lips or teeth, cigarette butts at curbside;
Cannabinoids: reddened whites of eyes, sleepiness, excessive hunger, lack of motivation, excessive happiness, paranoia;
Cold medications: sleepiness, rapid or slowed heart rate;
Inhalants: runny nose, smell of gasoline or other solvent, confusion or irritability;
Depressants: sleepiness, lowered inhibitions, poor coordination, slowed heart rate or blood pressure, dizziness, coma, death in overdose;
Stimulants: rapid heart rate or blood pressure, irritability, excessive happiness, less need for sleep, paranoia, seizures;
Narcotics: less experiencing of pain, excessive happiness, sleepiness, slowed or stopped breathing, coma, death in overdose;
Hallucinogens: trouble sleeping, blurred perceptions, paranoia;
Dissociative anesthetics: higher blood pressure and heart rate, memory loss, nausea and vomiting, irritability, aggressiveness;
Club drugs (for example, Ecstasy): feverish teen that does not sweat, finding multiple lollipops or other hard candies, the teen seeming to love everyone and/or have an excessively happy mood (euphoria);
Others (for example, anabolic steroids): increased irritability or aggressiveness, rapid increase in muscle definition, thinning or loss of head hair, marked increase in acne over a short period of time, finding needles.
The physical symptoms of withdrawal from these drugs are often nearly the opposite of the effects of intoxication.

How can parents prevent drug use?

Here are a few simple things that researchers have found effective.

Clear communication by parentsabout the negative physical, emotional, and functional effects of drugs, as well as about their expectations regarding drug use have been found to significantly decrease substance abuse in teens. Adequate parental supervision has also been found to be a deterrent to drug use in youth. Specifically, parents knowing how, where, and with whom adolescents socialize, as well as limiting their children's access to substances that can be abused have been associated with less teenage drug use.

Limiting the amount of alcohol, cleaning solutions (inhalants), prescription, and over-the-counter medications that are kept in the home to amounts that can be closely monitored and accounted for has also been found to decrease substance abuse by teens.

Family focused abuse-prevention programs have produced reductions in adolescent drug abuse. Among ethnic minorities in the United States (for example African Americans, Hispanic, Native and Asian Americans), those who strongly identify with their communities and cultures have been found to be less likely to experience risk factors for using drugs compared to their peers who are less connected to their communities and cultures.

Therefore, incorporation of a cultural component to drug abuse prevention programs may enhance the effectiveness of those programs.

Moreover, teens 15 to 16 years old who use religion to cope with stress tend to use drugs significantly less often than their peers who do not use religion to cope.
Alcohol, and other drug use has been found to occur most often between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., immediately after school and prior to parents coming home from work.

Teen participation in extracurricular activities has therefore been revealed as an important measure in preventing substance abuse in this age group.