Recognizing that your child is using drugs is sometimes not that easy. Teenagers getting high on cold medicines, cough syrups, and similar items has increased. Also teenagers raid the medicine cabinets of their family and the family members of their friends in search of quick and easy ways to experiment with drugs. Maintaining a healthy open relationship with your child is important in helping them make the right choice not to use drugs.

One drug on the street that is hugely popular and becoming more widespread is Methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is a strong physical and mental stimulant available in both prescription and street forms. It is relatively easy to synthesize which has contributed to its widespread use. Street names for the drug are speed, meth, crystal, crank, tina, and sometimes confusingly called ice. Health risks and problems associated with methamphetamine use are agitation, inability to concentrate, cardiovascular stress, heart attack & hypertensive crisis, stroke, overheating, poor sleep, sleep deprivation, bad driving, poor diet, paranoia, risky sexual behavior, neurotoxicity and death.

Get to know the subtle drug behavior warning signs as well as the obvious signs of drug use.
Changes in friends, declining grades, negative changes in schoolwork, or missing school more frequently, increased secrecy about possessions or activities, use of incense, room deodorant, or perfume to hide smoke or chemical odors, subtle changes in conversations with friends, (examples are more secretive and using "coded" language), change in clothing choices with a new fascination with clothes that highlight drug use, increase in borrowing or asking for money, shoplifting, evidence of drug paraphernalia such as pipes, rolling papers, needles, evidence of use of inhalant products (such as hairspray, nail polish, correction fluid, common household products, and rags and paper bags are sometimes used as accessories), bottles of eye drops, which may be used to mask bloodshot eyes or dilated pupils, new use of mouthwash or breath mints to cover up the smell of alcohol, and missing prescription drugs, especially narcotics and mood stabilizers from your medicine cabinets.