ASK A COP: ALERT PARENTS CAN DETECT DRUG ABUSE IN THEIR CHILDREN

This is the second installment of a four-week series titled "A
General Parental Guide to Drug Abuse Indicators."

This week's installment addresses the initial symptoms of drug abuse
and stages of chemical abuse.

Parents should watch for:

Changing behavior.

Worsening grades.

Physical appearance beginning to deteriorate.

All new friends suddenly appearing

Child may be wearing sunglasses at inappropriate times.

Child may be reluctant to join family activities.

At this point, the parents should intervene and-or seek professional
assistance.

Stages of chemical use:

Experimentation: (Grade school or early middle school -- occasional
beer drinking, glue sniffing, pot smoking, cigarette smoking.

Easily intoxicated (low tolerance)

Moving on to hard drugs.