njdionysus Posted April 28 Report Share Posted April 28 Are Your Parents Using Drugs?http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/html/article_472.htmlIf they exhibit any of these warning signs, they just might be! Here’s everything that concerned kids need to know.Stuff, April 2003By Bill KeithWHY DO PARENTS USE DRUGS?For some parents, drug use is a form of escape or novelty. Perhaps they’re bored at work—perhaps they want to fit in or feel grown-up. Mostly, though, parents use drugs because drugs make them feel extremely good. In popular media, drug users such as Keith Richards are held up as “cool†while abstainers such as National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice are derided as “uncool.†Small wonder that many parents are attracted to drug use!GATEWAY DRUGSPainkillers and alcohol are two common gateway drugs that may lead to harder drugs. If your parents drink or pop pills, they are probably using cocaine, heroin and LSD—or soon will be. Seek help at once. If you drink or use pills yourself, consider quitting for the sake of your parents. Or, barring that, hide your pills and alcohol products where your parents cannot find them.WARNING SIGNS OF PARENTAL DRUG USE1. Poor appearance or bad personal hygiene2. Violent outbursts3. Unexplained weight loss4. Slurred speech5. Glassy or red eyes6. Stealing or borrowing money7. New friends, under 258. Depression9. Tremors or shaking of feet, hands or head. Some parents may try to blame this on Parkinson’s disease. Don’t buy into it.10. Apathy, lack of motivation11. No concern for the future12. Mood swings or crying jags 13. Sneaky behavior14. Missing work15. Cloud of marijuana smoke escaping from under the bathroom doorIf your parents exhibit any of these signs, do not confront them in anger. This may only drive them away, especially if they have access to a car. Instead, let your parents know that help exists. Hugs would not be out of the question. 16. Instead of church, your parents leave for Sound Factory at 8am Sunday morning17. Your dad is slamming countless shots at the back bars at Tempts18. Your parents have a stash of glowsticks19. Your parents are promoting to make extra money "to pay the mortgage"20. You find photos of your parents on njguido.comPREVENTION: WHAT YOU CAN DOYoung people play a vital role in preventing parental drug use. Here are six everyday ways to show you care: 1. Be your parents’ biggest fan. Compliment them.2. Know your parents’ friends and their children. 3. Steer your parents away from any friends who use drugs—even if it means talking to your parents. 4. Plan regular parent-child activities that both of you enjoy. 5. Talk with your parents about the things that are important to them, such as escaping reality. 6. Take time to listen to your parents. They may be saying, “I use drugs.†What Kids Need to Know About MarijuanaYour parents may call it…Aunt Mary, Chronic, Dope, Ganja, Grass, Hash, Herb, Kif, Kind Bud, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Skunk, WeedWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and hungry! What do your parents experience?Distorted perception, trouble thinking and problem-solving, impaired motor coordination and an increased heart rate. They are hungry, giddy and feel like a big, warm blanket is being wrapped around their brains. How can you I.D. this drug?A green or brown mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). How can you spot a user of this drug?Sedation, redness of eyes. Typical parental behaviorThey will suddenly decide, at 3 A.M., that it’s a good idea to clean the chimney. They will fail and then track soot all over the house. How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?Up to 30 daysWhat Kids Need to Know About CocaineYour parents may call it…Yayo, Blow, Boogar Sugar, Colombian Marching Powder, Devil’s Dandruff, Flake, Lady, Nose Candy, Snow, RockWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and alert! What do your parents experience?Cocaine blocks the normal recycling of dopamine, a naturally occurring substance that makes your brain feel good. It produces euphoric effects including energy, mental clarity and reduced fatigue—and it increases body temperature. How can you I.D. this drug?It comes in two forms: powder and crack. Cocaine hydrochloride is a white powder, and crack is cocaine hydrochloride that has been processed with ammonia or baking soda and water into freebase cocaine, which transforms into chips, chunks or rocks. It’s a much cheaper but shorter high. How can you spot a user of this drug?Sweating, dilated pupils, grinding jaw. Plus, a cocaine user will tell you everything about his life as if each single thought is meaningful. Typical parental behaviorBeing wide awake at 5 A.M. and wondering where the after-party is. How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?Two to four daysWhat Kids Need to Know About Ecstasy (mdma)Your parents may call it…Hits, E, X, Roll, XTC, ElectraWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and affectionate! What do your parents experience?Reportedly, MDMA’s psychedelic effects are milder than those produced by LSD and mescaline. Users say it produces profoundly positive feelings, empathy for others, elimination of anxiety and extreme relaxation. It’s also said to suppress the need to eat, drink or sleep, enabling users to endure two- to three-day parties. Effects vary with the individual taking it; the dose and purity; and the environment in which it is taken. How can you I.D. this drug?MDMA is taken orally, usually in tablet or capsule form. Traffickers may use brand names and logos to distinguish their product from that of competitors. If a dealer says he has “pure stuff,†your parents will definitely want to try it. In powder form, it can be mixed in water and is exceptional, your folks will learn. How can you spot a user of this drug?Muscle cramping, involuntary teeth clenching, nausea, blurred vision, rapid eye movement, faintness and chills or sweating. Eagerness to touch everyone and everything. User will want to dance all the time—even while he’s peeing, which he will be doing incessantly.Typical parental behaviorTelling you that they love you very much—maybe even unconditionally! How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?One to three daysWhat Kids Need to Know About LSD Your parents may call it…Acid, Blotter, Doses, Hits, Microdot, Sugar Cubes, Tabs, TripsWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and trippy! What do your parents experience?LSD kicks in 30 to 90 minutes after being taken and typically begins to clear after about 12 hours. Effects—such as high body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, loss of appetite, sleeplessness and cool stuff like being able to see sounds and hear colors—depend on the amount taken; the user’s personality, mood and expectations; and the surroundings in which the drug is used. How can you I.D. this drug?Sold in liquid or tablet form, on sugar cubes, in thin squares of gelatin and, most commonly, as blotter paper (sheets of paper soaked in or impregnated with LSD). How can you spot a user of this drug?Dilated pupils, sweating, nausea, a Grateful Dead collection so voluminous that it contains 23 separate versions of “Fire on the Mountain.†Typical parental behaviorStaring at the backs of their hands, then asking to stare at the backs of your hands…during a flashback six months after dropping the acid. How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?One to four daysWhat Kids Need to Know About Meth-amphetamineYour parents may call it…Chalk, Crank, Croak, Crypto, Crystal, Glass, Ice, Meth, Speed, White CrossWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and agitated! What do your parents experience?Increased activity, decreased appetite and a general sense of confidence. The initial rush, or flash, lasts only a few minutes, then there is typically a state of high agitation that sometimes leads to violent behavior. How can you I.D. this drug?An odorless, bitter-tasting white or yellow powder that sometimes comes in large rocklike chunks. The powder flakes off the rock in glasslike shards. How can you spot a user of this drug?Wakefulness, irregular heartbeat, euphoria, irritability, confusion, tremors, convulsions, paranoia and aggressionTypical parental behaviorPicking a fight with their own reflection in the toaster.How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?Two to four daysWhat Kids Need to Know About Ketamine Your parents may call it…Bump, Ketaject, Ketalar, Psychedelic Heroin, Special K, Vitamin K What does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Good and detached! What do your parents experience?Effects are similar to PCP, with the visual hallucinations of LSD—a floating feeling or a sense of being separated from one’s body. Some experiences involve a terrifying feeling of almost complete sensory detachment that is likened to a near-death experience. How can you I.D. this drug?Normally found in liquid form, ketamine is converted into a white powder and repackaged in baggies or capsules. It’s often snorted or smoked with marijuana or tobacco or compressed into pills.How can you spot a user of this drug? Delirium, impaired motor function, convulsions and vomiting.Typical parental behaviorLying motionless while, um…lying motionless.How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?About a weekWhat Kids Need to Know About HeroinYour parents may call it…Big H, Blacktar, Brown Sugar, Dope, Horse, Junk, Mud, Skag, SmackWhat does this drug do to your parents?They’ll feel good. Until they die.What do your parents experience?Exhilaration, including a warm flush and an orgasmic sensation. After the initial effects, users usually will be drowsy and tranquil for several hours. Cardiac function and breathing are severely slowed. How can you I.D. this drug?White to dark-brown powder or a tarlike substance. How can you spot a user of this drug?Depressed respiration, constipation, nausea, drowsiness, euphoria, apathy, slurred speech, slow gait, constricted pupils and decreased sexual drive. Typical parental behaviorWasting away and dying. How long will it stay in your parents’ systems?Two to four days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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