Drug Trends and Teens
Just when you think you know your teenager, you get blindsided by something they do and it feels like an upper cut. There are things parents need to know about teenagers, and things that they are exposed to in school that teenagers don’t want you to know.
No matter what high school your child is going to, there are drugs there. Your child will be confronted at some point about drugs. The more you as the parent know the better chances of your child turning them away are. The most common drugs are marijuana, methamphetamine (speed), Xanax, ecstacy, and alcohol. You can smell cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke, and alcohol on their clothes. Cigarettes are often a gateway to other drugs. Nicotine is a powerful drug, so you don’t want your teens to get hooked now. Teens are more prone to stealing and lying in order to get cigarettes.
Marijuana is a green leafy substance that contains Tetrahydrocannabinol, (THC). The THC is what provides the high. It is usually smoked and rolled into a cigarette form. It can also be 
eaten (marijuana brownies). When ingested, the drug gives the person a feeling of being drunk. You can recognize a person under the influence by their eyes. The lids will become droopy and the eyeballs will be bloodshot. They may have an odor of burnt oregano on their clothes and in their hair as well. You can also tell if someone has recently smoked the drug by asking them to stick out their tongue. There will be a green strip down the middle of their tongue. If you want to know what burning marijuana smells like, pour a few dried oregano flakes on an oven burner. It smells similar.
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant. In other words, it makes your internal system go fast. This effect can vary from person to person, and can depend if the person has a strong habit. Some of the objective signs are jaw grinding, going for long periods of time 
without sleep, complexion problems, talking fast and fidgeting, dilated pupils, seeing things like bugs on their skin that don’t exist, paranoia, distancing themselves from family and friends, mood swings, rapid weight loss, puffy fingers, and increased need for sweets to name a few. Methamphetamine can look like an off-white powder, or an off-white rock about the size of a tooth. It has a chemical smell to it like ammonia and can be smoked, injected, eaten and snorted.
Xanax is a central nervous system depressant, so it has the opposite effect on the body that methamphetamine does. “Xanax,” or alprazolam, is its pharmaceutical name. It is a cousin of Valium. It comes in a pill form that is oval and is often times blue, white or orange. It can be taken orally, o
r crushed into a powder and snorted. It has similar effects that alcohol does. It gives a floating or disconnected sensation. Xanax became popular in the “club drug” scene, along with Ketamine, Rohypnol, and Ecstasy.
Some other drugs that are often abused by teens are legal drugs like Valium, Ritalin, and Oxycontin. These drugs can be found in drug cabinets in households of some parents and the parents of friends.
Ecstasy, another club drug, comes in several forms. Generally the pill form of Ecstasy comes in a colored pill with a stamp on it. The stamps can vary from a shamrock to a smile face on it. They come in different colors and are the size of a “smarties” candy. When taken, the drug produces both stimulant and mild sensory-altering effects. Look for jaw grinding and dilated pupils.
Ecstasy’s liquid form is referred to as Gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB). It is dubbed the “date rape” drug. It is colorless and odorless. It has a salty taste so it is disguised in sugary drinks such as cola, purple hooters and Long Island ice teas. One dose consists of a cap full of an average water bottle. In lower doses, GHB can cause a relaxed feeling, much like alcohol. With increases in the doses, it can cause sedative effects that may result in sleep, eventually coma or death. Sexual predators will spike their victim’s drinks with the GHB rendering them in an intoxicated state. The victim then goes in and out of 
consciousness, and is unable to fight off her attacker. Once the effects of the drug wear off, the victim often times can’t remember what happened. Tell your female loved ones to never leave their drinks unattended!
Next week, the Sacramento Police Department will post the second in a five-part series highlighting the topics important to parents of teens. Hopefully this public service announcement will arm parents with the information they need.
Detective Frank Reyes will be the first speaker. He is a veteran with eight years in the Narcotics Division. Detective Reyes will educate parents on the logistics of drugs. His expertise includes teaching narcotics, undercover operations, working with informants, surveillance, writing search warrants, and working as a drug K-9 handler to name a few duties.
The second expert will be Officer Mike Frazier. He is a School Resource Officer at McClatchy High School. He will discuss trends he has seen in schools involving drugs.
