| Do you ever find your ballpoint pens missing? What | | | | Spoons and candles can be used in a variety of |
| happened to those large plastic pop bottles that you | | | | different ways to ingest drugs. Sometimes, hashish oil |
| thought you threw into the recycling bin? Why are so | | | | is heated in an everyday teaspoon over a lit candle |
| many spoons missing from your cutlery drawer in the | | | | and inhaled (through the hollow tube of a pen.) Spoons |
| kitchen? | | | | are also used for mixing and injecting stronger drugs |
| Have any of your kitchen or bathroom faucets lost | | | | like methamphetamine (meth, ice), but sadly, by the |
| their filters? What about your window screens? Do | | | | time your child reaches that stage, you will likely be |
| they have any missing chunks? Do you ever walk into | | | | aware of it already. |
| the bathroom and become overwhelmed by the scent | | | | I could have sworn I had a pair of diamond earrings in |
| of heavily-sprayed perfume? | | | | my jewellery box. |
| Kids are amazingly resourceful when it comes to | | | | Nothing in your house is sacred when you have a child |
| creating methods of ingesting drugs. They don't need | | | | heavily influenced by drugs. Yes, they will steal from |
| to go to a "head shop" to find these tools. Everything | | | | their own mother. Check your valuables every once in |
| they need can be found in the home. As parents, you | | | | a while. If stuff starts to disappear, start asking |
| really need to be aware of these signs. | | | | questions. |
| Have you ever gone to the fridge to find an entire | | | | What happened to that cake I had in the fridge? It |
| cake gutted from the inside? Have you ever found | | | | looks like a pack of animals got at it. |
| incredible amounts of junk food missing from your | | | | No, that wasn't a pack of animals. It was likely your |
| pantry? | | | | son or daughter coming down from a high, desperately |
| Has money ever gone missing from your wallet or | | | | needing a fix of sugar. They didn't use a fork. They |
| purse? Do your other children ever complain that stuff | | | | used their hands. They also prepared and consumed |
| is missing from their rooms? Do you ever walk around | | | | three packages of Kraft macaroni and cheese all at |
| your home and notice certain things that just make | | | | once. |
| you go, "Huh?" | | | | I left my purse on the kitchen counter and now $50 is |
| Chances are that you are NOT losing your mind. If you | | | | missing. |
| have any concern that your child may be abusing | | | | You're not imagining this. Even in your own household, |
| drugs, please pay attention to these very common | | | | you are vulnerable to theft from the child who is |
| household signs. | | | | addicted to drugs. Your other children are also |
| Everyday household stuff can easily be used for | | | | extremely vulnerable. They may not want to tell you, |
| making drug paraphernalia. More expensive items like | | | | but they may suspect their brother or sister is stealing |
| bicycles, musical instruments and iPods can be sold or | | | | from them. |
| hawked to pay their dealers. | | | | Often, there are no obvious red flags to alert us that |
| What is my son or daughter using the pens, pop | | | | our children have already started down the path to |
| bottles and mesh filters for? | | | | drug hell. As parents, we have to look at the subtleties. |
| Kids frequently use these items to make bongs. Bongs | | | | Look around you. Look around your house. If |
| are pipes used as a method to inhale marijuana and/or | | | | something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Keep |
| hashish through a water filter. Some kids think this is a | | | | track of your stuff. Don't listen to the "dog ate my |
| purer way to filter out the harmful carcinogens that | | | | homework" story. |
| marijuana and hashish contain. Some of them consider | | | | For the sake of your beloved child and yourself, don't |
| this to be a healthier "high." | | | | ignore these common household signs of possible drug |
| There are hundreds of thousands of places via a | | | | abuse. Your child may already be feeling out of control. |
| Google search on the internet where they can learn | | | | Use these early opportunities to take a stand. If you |
| how to build these homemade pipes. | | | | really don't feel right about something that's going on |
| As a substitute for pop bottles, they will use the glass | | | | right under your roof, trust your gut instinct and |
| from hurricane lamps, large jars, soda cans and just | | | | address it now. |
| about anything else that can provide a "chamber." | | | | Your son's or daughter's life may depend on it. |
| What happened to all of my spoons and candles? | | | | |