DEA might have inadvertently told teens where to hide drugs

http://nypost.com/2017/05/11/the-dea-might-have-accidentally-told-teens-where-to-hide-drugs/

Teens are using a host of seemingly benign household items — teddy bears, alarm clocks, calculators and even highlighters — to stash drugs, the Drug Enforcement Agency warns parents on a new website.

The site, Get Smart About Drugs, also links common teenage characteristics such as forgetting homework, lack of energy or motivation, enjoying their privacy, and asking for money as indicators of possible drug use.

The anti-drug agency tells parents to search their child’s room or car for drugs if they exhibit any of these behaviors and even provides a detailed breakdown of places to search:

Alarm clocks: Next time you’re in your kid’s room, try opening the battery compartment, there may be bags of drugs in there.

Highlighter: This common school supply is not just a fancy pen used to emphasize important text in a book, your child may be hiding small amounts of drugs inside the caps.

Shoes: Your kid is probably hiding baggies of drugs in the toes of the shoes to keep them out of sight.

Candy: Edible drugs such as ecstasy and certain types of edible marijuana can be easily camouflaged inside a candy wrapper.

Posters: What do Fifth Harmony, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Harry Potter have in common? If your kid has a poster of any of these beloved pop culture staples, they may very well be flattening small drug-filled baggies and taping the bags behind them.

Teddy bears: Be very suspicious if your teen is holding onto this childhood toy. The inside seams of the “adored” stuffed animal is one of the best hiding spots for small amounts of drugs.

Car interior: If you were wondering why your teen begged and pleaded with you for a car, it isn’t because they wanted an easier way to get around town. Cars have a plethora of hiding spaces: glove compartments, seats, a steering wheel, and a trunk, among other things.

Game console: Wiis, Nintendo Switches, Playstations — all these devices have hidden crevices to stash drugs.

While teen drug abuse is a serious issue, the US National Institute on Drug Abuse notes fewer teens are using illegal drugs and marijuana than ever before, adding that they are also less likely to fall victim to prescription drug use — which, ironically, plagues many adults in the US.

Not surprisingly, the paranoia-inducing site for parents has drawn derision online, with more than a few people noting that it probably does more to give teens ideas on where to hide drugs than preventing abuse.

Filed under: General Problems