The war on drugs has been a hard fought battle in the United States for several decades, and with the advances in technology and education during that time, many lives have been saved from the horrors of drug abuse and addiction.

However, every generation must fight its own battle with this scourge on society, and although many of these battles have been won, there are still those who have the desire to “experiment” with mind-altering substances.

It can arguably be said that efforts made by law enforcement, private organizations, educational institutions and the government have resulted in illegal drugs becoming harder and harder for many to obtain.

The only downside to that achievement is that as a result of this scarcity, some in our society, and teenagers in particular, have turned to abusing over the counter (OTC) medications.

According to the 2011 “Monitoring the Future Study”, 5 percent of teenagers in America abuse over the counter medications.

Teen Medicine Abuse has become a rising problem in our society, and it is time that we educate our youth and ourselves on the dangers of this issue.

We have discussed the many and varied reasons that many teens use drugs (legal, illegal or over the counter) many times in the past, but it bears repeating.

Many teens use these substances to attain a high to escape from boredom, depression or pressure. They may feel pressure to perform better in school, sports and in social settings, and use these drugs as way to feel more energy or focused.

Sometimes peer pressure and pressure from family members is a factor, but they also may use these substances to help obtain a better physical appearance.

Whatever the reason, it is a form of escapism and is rooted in psychological issues many teens face.

Although there are many over the counter medications that are subject to abuse by teens, the most popular by far is cough medicine. According to a survey performed by the “Partnership for a Drug Free America” in 2006, 1 in 10 teens reported abusing cough medicine to get high, and 55 percent of teens surveyed stated that they did not believe that abusing cough medicine to get high was risky.

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unintentional deaths due to drug poisoning increased 68.3 percent between 1999 and 2004, and that in 2006, unintentional poisoning caused over 700,000 emergency department visits.

In fact, drug poisoning is second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of death from unintentional injury.

http://liarcatchers.com/drugdogsweeps.html

So why is cough medicine so popular among teens who abuse over the counter drugs? Of course, part of its popularity is that it is easily obtained and relatively inexpensive.

Many also assume that because it is OTC it must be safe. However, the user must take very high doses to attain the high, and it also has many dangerous side effects.

The active ingredient that causes this high is Dextromethorphan (DXM).

While perfectly safe in its recommended dose, teens often take many times this amount, which can lead to hallucinations, loss of motor control, and dissociative sensations, as well as confusion, paranoia, impaired judgment, slurred speech, blurred vision, and dizziness.

Other symptoms can include excessive sweating, abdominal pain or nausea, vomiting, irregular or rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, headache, and lethargy.

In some cases they may experience numbness of their fingers and toes, facial redness, dry and itchy skin, unconsciousness, seizures, brain damage, or even death.

DXM can also cause hyperthermia (high fever) which can be especially dangerous to teens who are participating in sports or other activities that could compound this problem.

So how are teens finding out about OTC medicine abuse?

Unfortunately there are many websites on the Internet that promote the abuse of these medicines, and provide step by step instructions on how to abuse these drugs.

Many even tell your teen exactly how much to take by how much they weigh, how to extract the DXM to take directly, and many even sell a raw form of the ingredient.

The best way to prevent your teen from being drawn into this dangerous habit is to monitor what they are doing on the internet and in their free time.

Review their website history and make sure that the sites they are visiting are not promoting drug abuse.

Look for signs such as a change in friends, eating or sleeping patterns, or physical appearance and hygiene.

Loss of interest in favorite activities, declining grades, and unexplained hostility can also be signs, as well as the disappearance of money, empty drug containers or if your teenager and/or his room smell chemical or medicinal.

Know who their friends are, as many times teens are introduced to these behaviors by friends who abuse drugs.

In fact, The Partnership for a Drug-Free America states that over half of all teens say they have close friends who get high regularly, so keep an eye on with whom your kids are keeping company.

The good news in all of this is that according to StopMedicineAbuse.org, teens who are educated about these risks by their parents are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs.

Communicating with your teen can be the most important step in preventing or halting this kind of abuse, so be involved with what they are doing and keep the lines of communication open.

If you do determine that your teen has a problem with drug abuse, there is help available.

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a toll free help line at 1-800-662-HELP, or you can visit them online at: findtreatment.samhsa.gov

BUCKLEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE | One of the newest facilities at Buckley Air Force Base is going to the dogs — and that’s just the way Air Force officials planned it.
Early this year, base officials unveiled a new kennel facility on the sprawling base along Aurora’s eastern edge. The facility is home to dog handlers and six dogs from the 460th Security Forces.
While the dogs at the facility are trained to find drugs and patrol, Tech Sgt. Justin Baker, the kennel master, said the main focus for modern Air Force dogs is sniffing out bombs.
“The mission for us in this day and age is explosive detection,” Baker said.
That goes for when the dogs are working here or overseas, and Baker said it requires substantial training. For the eight dog handlers assigned to the 460th security forces, training the dogs to sniff out explosives or drugs or subdue bad guys requires a lot of patience.
“Patience is a big deal,” said Staff Sgt. Marque Daniels.

http://liarcatchers.com/drugdogsweeps.html

Daniels’ yellow Labrador, Pierre, is one of only a few Labradors in the Air Force. Most of the dogs are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois. But, the airmen say, the job also gives them a chance to form a close bond with the dogs.
Staff Sgt. Rick Laird said he enjoys the job more than he thought he would.
“I get to be by myself most of the day, just me and the dog,” he said. His dog, a 6-year-old German Shepherd named Nina, specializes in drug detection.
Baker said that bond is part of the reason working with K-9s is such a popular assignment. When he started with a K-9 unit 15 years ago, Baker said he was one of just 8 airmen from 90 applicants selected for the assignment. In all, there are only between 400 and 500 airmen assigned to a K-9 unit in the Air Force, he said.
“It’s a very small, tight-knit community with us,” he said.
At 31,000 square feet, the new facility is about twice the size of the base’s old kennel facility, Baker said. The inside includes a 4,800 square-foot kennel, and is complete with living quarters for the airmen, a veterinarian’s room and full kitchen.
With six dogs and 10 kennels, there is some extra space at the facility. Baker said the extra few kennels can be used by other agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if they need a place to store their dogs.
The 148-foot by 220-foot outdoor play area is just a patch of dirt now, but Baker said the plan is to add Astroturf and permanent obstacles for the dogs in the coming months.

Illegal drug smuggling and supply in this country has skyrocketed with our schools a fresh target point for dealers to infiltrate. Drug dealers and smugglers have become very inventive when finding ways to hide drugs; they seal drugs inside furniture, vacuum-pack them in cans, stuff them into fruit, pepper, coffee and even submerge them in automobile gas tanks.

Sniffing dogs (and man’s best friend) are our biggest allies in the escalating fight against illegal drugs and protecting our children. The percentage of the dog’s brain devoted to analyzing smells is actually 40 times larger than that of a human! It’s been estimated that dogs can identify smells somewhere between 1,000 to 10,000 times better than humans can.

http://liarcatchers.com/drugdogsweeps.html

Drug dogs are trained to find illegal drugs, whether it’s large or small amounts. Dogs really have no idea they are providing a valuable service by searching out drugs; instead dogs think they’re looking for their favorite toy.

It’s common knowledge in the animal world that dogs love to play tug-of-war with a towel. A handler plays with the dog and a scent-free towel as a fun toy; next a bag of marijuana (or narcotics) is rolled up inside the towel. After playing for a while, the dog connects the smell of marijuana with the smell of his favorite new toy. The handler then hides the towel, with the drugs, in various places and the dog sniffs it out alerting the handler.

Drug Free Schools

Every parent wants their child to go to school to learn, and not worry about a child being confronted with drugs and pushers. Securing your child’s safety from drugs requires a drug free school. First, school officials must decide whether to use drug dogs at all, next they decide whether to use police dogs or hire a private company.

Random searches around school lockers and cars in parking lots by drug sniffing dogs can be a very effective deterrent, sending a strong message that drugs won’t be tolerated at school. If requested, searches in classrooms and other areas can be checked. A favorite breed that most private companies chose is the Golden Retriever; they don’t appear so intimidating and threatening to kids.

For more information on security and drug dogs visit: www.flhsmv.gov and www.napwda.com.