Helping Friends and Family: Warning Signs of Drug Abuse

As the drug epidemic hits some area high schools, knowing when your loved one needs help isn’t always easy.

The warning signs of drug abuse aren’t always clear cut.

But as drugs make their way into area high schools recognizing even the smallest change of behavior is something you can’t ignore.
 
When it comes to drugs, Jessica White knows her stuff.

If a police officer believes a suspect is on drugs they call Jessica, and within a few minutes she can already tell.
 
“I’ve gone to schools where the principal pulled a kid in and they’re like something is wrong with him and I’ll look at him and I’ll be like yeah they’re messed up,” says Drug Recognition Expert, Jesseca White.
 
Jessica says the easiest way to tell is by looking at their eyes.
 
“What you’ll see a lot of is pinpoint pupils that don’t really react to light at all,” says White.
 
That’s for opiates, when it comes to drugs like cocaine and meth, pupils tend to expand and get bigger.
 
“A lot of times we call it on the nod somebody can fall asleep have a conversation with you and wake back up and be able to talk,” says White.
 
And that’s the same for all opiates.

Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy.
 
“People using drugs can change physically but their emotion is something many notice from the very start.”
 
“The A student is becoming the B or C student,” says First Step Recovery Clinical Director, Patti Senn.
 
Senn says even a disruption in their normal eating or sleeping patterns could be a sign.
 
“They can happen gradually so it’s not often one big ‘ahah’ moment,” says Senn.
 
It can be a tough distinction between normal teenage struggles and a bigger problem but Senn says it’s never too early to start the conversation.
 
“Having this conversation over time is important at a young age so when you’re a teenager it’s not a new conversation,” says Senn.
 
Senn says anything from a change in attitude, to their demeanor to even their friends are things to keep an eye on.

Basically any behavior that’s not normal for the person…is something you shouldn’t ignore.