Drug Proof your children

By Tonia Noe-Rose, staff writer

June 18, 2008 June 18, 2008 03:30 pm

— EditorÕs Note: This is the first story in a series based on the recent How to Drug Proof Your Kids training.

Marijuana, steroids, inhalants and ÔPharm PartiesÕ are just to name a few drug activities that children have become involved in Ð and most parents have no clue.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, kids have become quite clever with hiding their drug activity from adults.
In fact, one out of four eighth grade students have been drunk at least once in the past month and 50 percent of senior high school students also have been drunk in the past 30 days.
During a ÒHow to Drug Proof Your KidsÓ training session Thursday, Mike Haley, master trainer with Community Impact Outreach and from Colorado Springs, visited the Morehead Conference Center and talked with parents and concerned citizens about the dangers of drug use among children.
ÒParenting is a puzzle,Ó he said. ÒYou need to know what makes children tick. How well do you know your kids? Drugs are really bad across the nation right now and itÕs a problem even in small towns. We have a methamphetamine plague in many states including Kentucky. ItÕs a war. But, if everyone works together, you can drive drugs out of your community.Ó
Haley said one particular way children are fooling parents and guardians is through text messaging and e-mails. He said adults should to keep an eye out for the numbers, Ò4:20.Ó Haley said children are using the term in messages such as, ÔJim I will meet you at the lake, 4:20.Õ
He said the numbers involve the use of marijuana and that one of the two children has the drug available for the meeting.
One parent spoke up at the training session and said her daughter, a Rowan County Senior High School student, had recently been offered marijuana at the high school. ÒShe said a girl is selling it at the high school,Ó she commented. ÒThatÕs one of the reasons I wanted to come to this session. When I heard that from my daughter, it scared me.Ó
Haley said children also are getting high by mixing large amounts of cough syrup with Spriteª. The drink is called Òpurple dragonÓ and can potentially cause hallucinations.
ÒThe pharm parties are another huge problem right now with children,Ó Haley told those attending the session. ÒThey will get into your medicine cabinets and take two or three of several prescription drugs that includes Valium, pain medications and even Viagra. They take only a few so that you wonÕt miss them. They take those to a gathering where they put the pills into a cup and then each child will mix the different types of pills with alcohol to experience the high.Ó
Haley also informed parents about potential signs of meth labs within communities. He said a pair of sneakers tied together and thrown across an electric line is a good indication that a meth lab is somewhere close and the meth is ready for purchase. ÒMeth is a social plague,Ó he said. ÒItÕs so addictive that 80 percent of those who use it one time is addicted. ItÕs a different animal for some reason. This is the worst thing to hit our country and we have to work together to make a difference.Ó
Haley also touched on steroids and said many children will get them from the Internet. ÒThey are dangerous and should not be used by children,Ó he said. ÒThey will see an athlete on television or in a magazine and think if they take steroids they can build their bodies.Ó
Drug use among children has to begin somewhere and Haley said nicotine, alcohol and marijuana are the gateway drugs to cocaine, meth, heroin and ecstasy.
ÒThey look like candy and some will have smiley faces on them,Ó he advised. ÒThey are not professionally manufactured. In fact, they are made in hotel rooms and in homes. And, just as meth, itÕs very dangerous.Ó
Haley said communication is an important tool for families. ÒYou need to also communicate age appropriate information about things such as drugs and alcohol,Ó he said. ÒBe aware and stay informed about what drugs look like and the code words used.Ó
Another danger among children is the Òchoking gameÓ that has ended with some deadly consequences, Haley said. ÒThey choke and hang themselves with a scarf or rope and just before passing out, they release,Ó he advised. ÒThey also may let another child choke them. The high only lasts a couple of minutes, but children have died before they are able to release themselves. This kills dozens of teens each year and three out of four parents havenÕt even heard of it. Schools need to educate on this because itÕs been ruled as suicide in many cases.Ó
Warning signs of choking include:
¥ Suspicious neck bruising
¥ Turtleneck blouses or shirts
¥ Unusual noises in the childÕs bedroom
¥ Signs of rope
¥ Headaches and bloodshot eyes
ÒYou must talk and listen to children,Ó he said. ÒThis is a deadly game that your kids might be playing in their rooms and you are not aware.
Haley advised that the use of certain inhalants also is prevalent among children right now.
ÒThey use items that are easy to get such as hairspray, whip cream and butane lighters,Ó he said. ÒThey puncture the canister and then sniff the vapors. This is sometimes referred to as huffing and causes a rapid heart beat, and in many cases, killed children.Ó
Haley said communities must rally together to end the drug war. ÒKids who donÕt learn consequences could end up in prison or deadÓ he said. ÒWe must coach kids to help them make good choices.Ó