Parents: Beware of ‘Drug Attacks’ on Teens

A new generation of drugs is making it more difficult than ever for parents to identify potential warning signs of drug abuse in children. Now, drugs are being manufactured and targeted toward kids by using bright colors and household names to disguise their harmful effects.

"Bath salts," "glass cleaner" and "Skittle parties" are the most common among these new-age drugs, and they are invading the lives of children as young as 9-years-old. They call it glass cleaner and actually manufacture it in a way to suggest it's not for human consumption. So if it's called bath salts or glass cleaner, then they get around all the legal issues of it.

Glass cleaner is a white powdery substance, which acts similarly to cocaine or amphetamines. Bath salts are crystalline-like substances, which contain a mixture of controlled substances.

When reports of these drugs surfaced in 2009, kids were getting them from convenience stores, online and through friends. The DEA caught wind of it and acted quickly to enact temporary bills to stop the production of some of these drugs. However, it wasn't until July of this year that President Obama signed a bill banning bath salts in the U.S.

Children between the ages of 9 and 12 are going into their parents’ or grandparents’ medicine cabinets to steal  prescription drugs. The kids then exchange pills at a party and often take them with alcohol. These so-called "Skittle parties" can have long-lasting consequences because the kids don’t know what they’re taking.

Make sure to be aware of this situation involving teens and drugs. Keep a close eye of what your children are doing and who they are with at all times. And most importantly, talk with your child.

If you or someone you love needs help, please contact the Sioux Falls Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Centers.