“HAPPY CANDY” Is your child taking drugs?? Part III

What substances might your child be abusing?

Sooooo… you think you knew it all?? Read on, I’m sure that you will learn a thing or two, I certainly did. Here is a list of some more commonly found drugs and their accompanying paraphernalia. If you child is keeping any of these things in his or her room or school bag, you might have reason for concern.

- Bongs, pipes, rolly papers or normal cigarettes that have been tampered with or “stuffed” are an indication that your child may be using marijuana. A sudden interest in burning incense may be an attempt to cover up certain “smells”, and a new interest in gardening might also prompt you to look at what’s growing behind the shed. While some may consider marijuana a “soft drug”, or acceptable some children will develop abuse or “over – use” and please don’t forget that the use of this drug in Indonesia is still illegal.
- Mini-spoons, glass pipes, aluminum foil could all indicate that your child is using ICE or shabu-shabu. A cheap highly addictive methamphetamine. Needles & syringes mean that your child is injecting either heroin or other cheaper, nastier substances.
- A sudden interest in over-the-counter cough and cold remedies. These contain substances such as Dextro methorphan Hydrobromide. Over the years, teens discovered that they could get high by taking large doses of any OTC medicine containing this substance. Dextro methorphan-containing products — tablets, capsules, gel caps, lozenges, and syrups — are labeled DM, cough suppressant, or Tuss (or contain “tuss” in the title). Medicines containing dextromethorphan are easy to find, affordable for cash-strapped teens, and perfectly legal. Getting access to the dangerous drug is often as easy as walking into the local drugstore with a few dollars or raiding the family medicine cabinet. And because it’s found in over-the-counter medicines, many teens naively assume that DXM can’t be dangerous
- Prescription medicine abuse is a huge problem among young people. Many teens think these drugs are safe because they have legitimate uses, but taking them without a prescription to get high or “self-medicate” can be as dangerous – and addictive – as using street narcotics and other illicit drugs. Unfortunately there are plenty of “Dodgy Doctors” on the Island that are happy to prescribe these medicines no-questions-asked. If you find your teen is stashing pain relievers, stimulants, sedatives or tranquilizers (most commonly Alprazolam sold as Xanax, Zolastin or Zyprax) then you have a problem.
- There are other things around your house that you might never suspect that your teen could be using to get a high. Some teens have used pure vanilla extract that you use in cooking because it contains alcohol, and mouthwash preparations, such as Listerine, which also contain alcohol. In fact, any product that contains alcohol that your teen could drink will be used if your teen is into this type of high. Kids have also discovered that nutmeg will give a high similar to LSD and, in fact, is known as the “poor man’s LSD.” However, there are some rather unpleasant side effects to doing this, including headaches and nausea. Inhalant abuse is easy for most kids to get in to as the substances are ready available around the house. Things such as hairspray, nail polish, correction fluid, markers, air fresheners, paper bags and rags, common household products can all be used for a cheap and dangerous high. Inhaling or “huffing’ burns holes in your child’s brain and can cause permanent brain damage, so it is better to investigate and risk being wrong than to ignore it and pay the consequences later with a child who either dies or ends up with severe brain damage.
- There is a lot of “trick gear” that kids can get hold of such as pipes that look like a roll of mints, a makeup brush, a battery, or a cigarette lighter, so if you are searching your child’s room for paraphernalia, it is wise to keep this in mind and check out anything that does not seem to quite fit with what your child would ordinarily need. There are also web sites that kids can get into that tell them how to extract various substances from household products, like hair spray, paint strippers, and acetone-free nail polish remover, to come up with pure drugs. Some of these sites have the word “cookbook” in them. It is very important that you monitor teens’ Internet activities through the use of one of the “guardian” type of services that many Internet service providers now offer. There’s an awful lot of dangerous garbage out there, and our kids do need to be protected from it, whether they agree with us or not.

Whatever you suspect, or think you know about your child it is paramount to keep an open line of communication. Anger and murderous threats will only distance your child even more. You are not the first parent to tackle this and you certainly will not be the last. If you cannot handle the situation get help. Remember that you are not alone, there are many websites that offer good sound advice, and professional counselors that are ready to help.