This is the first installment in a four-part series on keeping kids safe in the summer.
We are in the midst of that beautiful time of year, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summertime is here … even if it doesn’t officially start until June 20. We think of barbecues, days at the lake, vacations and mountain adventures. However, with all of this free time, we must keep in mind that the disruption in daily activities for our children is heavily impacted by school closures, boredom and increasing access to digital dangers, including the susceptibility to drugs.
If we think our kids are too smart to do drugs, think again. The children most at risk are the brilliant ones, who continually search for unique ways to pass the day. They have the time to get into mischief and have fewer sources of accountability. It’s why our parents made sure we had jobs or organized summer activities throughout the day … they knew the problem with “idle hands.”
Sometimes, boredom goes beyond simple pranks or mindless social media scrolling and into dangerous territory. The excitement of the uncertainty of drugs can become appealing. However, it is precisely that unpredictability that can land young people in a landscape of “excitement” that they will quickly find impossible to navigate. They may get completely lost and never find their way back to normalcy.
They may be attracted to a parent’s prescription drug, then discover that they can easily secure a street version, with less chance of getting caught. Unanticipated reactions, including addiction, may result and become permanent.
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Many people think that there is no harm in trying it just once. For some people, that may be true, but for many others, it can be fatal, or at the very least, addicting. The concern is that you won’t know which person you are until it’s too late. You may be one of those whose body triggers such a negative reaction that they may find themselves struggling for life in the ER, with the possibility of a permanent disability or death.
In addition, a young person often has stronger reactions than an adult, because they are both physically and psychologically still developing.
This is not simply an urban problem. The best drug dealers are your local “friends” who get it from their “friends,” and so on. Add the proximity to Interstate 70 to the mix, and you end up with unprecedented access.
While some of the “signs” of drug use or addiction may be the result of other issues, like stress or simply having a bad day, a sustained presence, especially if multiple symptoms are present, should be a red flag that something may be seriously wrong, which may include alcohol abuse, drug use or mental health issues.
According to the Betty Ford Foundation and Stanford University, there are several consistent markers of alcohol and drug use in youth.
Physical
- Sleep cycle is disrupted; either too much or too little
- Eating patterns become irregular (too much or too little), causing unanticipated weight fluctuations
- Regular nausea or vomiting
- Eyes: red or watery, with pupils dilated or constricted
- Inability to concentrate or finish a thought
- Nose: continual sniffing and nose irritation
- Frequent sore throat
- Cold or sweaty palms and/or shaky or trembling hands
- Extreme hyperactivity
Appearance
- A deterioration in appearance, including hygiene
- Change in clothing, either in style or cleanliness
- Heavy use of perfume or breath mints to disguise alcohol or marijuana use
Emotional
- Paranoia
- Frequent mood swings, irritability or nervousness
- Being overly secretive or staying behind locked doors
- Isolating from family and home activities
- Lack of motivation, energy or self-esteem
- Habitual dishonesty
- Dangerously impulsive
- Personality change, from cheerful and outgoing, to sullen and withdrawn
Mental health
- Sudden changes in attitude, mood or focus
- Signs of depression or suicide
- Unprecedented anxiety, often triggered by drug abuse
- Dizziness and memory problems
- Honors students are susceptible to academic stress. Some will resort to using “uppers” to stay awake longer, or “downers” to sleep afterwards.
School, work or organized activities
- Attendance issues and tardiness
- Decline in grades or job performance
- Withdrawal from academic or social groups, activities, sports or special interest clubs
Friendships
- Change in friends, gradually replacing old ones with a new crowd who dress or act radically different
- Very secretive about where they go and what they do
- The use of code words in chats among themselves, often relating to drug use or illegal activity
- Becoming excessively protective of their mobile phone, with messages being ultra-secret
- Staying out much later than normal and lying about their whereabouts
- Hiding or locking up things in their room, either due to paranoia or possessing things they should not have
- Drug paraphernalia, including vaping devices, which are often made to look like decorative objects
Money: Drug users often become drug dealers
- Be aware of unexplained money in their possession and excuses like, “I’m just holding this for a friend.”
- Notice missing items like game stations, jewelry, mobile devices, etc.
- Sudden excuses for missing money, such as “I lost the money you gave me.”
- Unexplained debit card transactions and money withdrawals
Medicine cabinet
- Monitor prescriptions, particularly stimulants, like ADD meds, or pain killers,
- Be cautious about medication quantities at home, including those of relatives, friends or even with babysitting.
- Become savvy about common household goods that can be combined to create “homemade” drugs.
Please understand that good kids are just that, kids, and their lack of maturity causes errors in judgment. Having once been a child ourselves, we understand this well. We also now see the perspective of parenthood … it can be the toughest journey you’ll ever make.
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