WOULD YOUR 4-YEAR-OLD SAY "NO" TO DRUGS?

I know you're thinking "what?"  While you may not think about sitting your preschooler down to talk about drugs, it is a good idea.  Our children are exposed to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes at a young age.  (I started talking to my girls when they were 4)

Since the foundation for all healthy habits — from nutrition to toothbrushing— is laid down during the preschool years, this is a great time to set the stage for a drug-free life.  So how do you talk to your 4-year-old about drugs and these other substances?   The Partnership at Drug Free.Org gives 7 tips to help you work with your preschooler, so he/she will grow up happy, healthy, and drug free:

• Talk to your child about the joys of healthy living. Explain the importance of taking good care of our bodies – eating right, exercising and getting a good night’s sleep. Discuss how good you feel when you take care of yourself — how you can run, jump, play and work for many hours. A great conversation starter: "I'm glad I'm healthy because I can…"
• Celebrate your child's decision-making skills. Whenever possible, let your child choose what to wear. Even if the clothes don't quite match, you are reinforcing your child's ability to make decisions.
• Stress the need for your child to take personal responsibility for his own health, well-being and personal environment. Your instructions should be concrete, related to your child's experiences, and stated positively. Turn chores like brushing teeth, putting away toys, wiping up spills, and caring for pets into fun experiences that your child will enjoy. Break the activities down into manageable steps so that your child learns to develop plans.
• Help your child steer clear of dangerous substances that exist in her immediate world. Point out poisonous and harmful chemicals commonly found in homes, such as bleach, kitchen cleansers and furniture polish. Read the products' warning labels out loud to your child. Explain that she should only eat or smell food or a prescribed medicine that you, a relative or other known caregivers give to her. Also, explain that drugs from the doctor help the person the doctor gives them to but that they can harm someone else.
• Help your child understand the difference between make-believe and real life. Preschoolers give meaning to things they don't understand in order to make sense of their world — but their meaning doesn't necessarily reflect the real world. Ask your child what he thinks about a TV program or story. Let your child know about your likes and dislikes. Discuss how violence or bad decisions can hurt people.
• Turn frustration into a learning opportunity. If a tower of blocks keeps collapsing during a play session, work with your child to find possible solutions to the problem.
• Tell your child how proud you are of her when she helps you with things. There's never a bad time to give your child a boost of self-esteem.

But what is the best way to start the conversation with your 4-year-old. Below are several scenarios, that can get the conversation started:

Scenario Giving your child a daily vitamin.

What to Say
Vitamins help your body grow. You need to take them every day so that you’ll grow up big and strong like Mommy and Daddy—but you should only take what I give you. Too many vitamins can hurt you and make you sick, and never take vitamins from a friend or someone you don't know.

Scenario Your kids are curious about medicine bottles around the house.

What to Say
You should only take medicines that have your name on them or that your doctor has chosen just for you. If you take medicine that belongs to somebody else, it could be dangerous and make you sick.  (And again, stress the importance of NOT accepting any medicine from friends or strangers.)

Scenario Your child sees an adult smoking and, since you’ve talked about the dangers of smoking, is confused.

What to Say
Grownups can make their own decisions and sometimes those decisions aren’t the best for their bodies. Sometimes, when someone starts smoking, his or her body feels like it has to have cigarettes—even though it’s not healthy. And that makes it harder for him or her to quit.

How young is too young to talk about drugs?

Image: http://benzbaby.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/stupid-criminal-of-the-day-dad-tells-4-yr-old-cocaine-is-candy/

TEEN TRENDS: NATIONAL DRUG FACTS WEEK - SHATTER THE MYTHS

If you follow my blog, then you know I like to keep parents up-to-date on teen trends, including the different and clever ways teens use and abuse drugs. 

November 8-14 is National Drug Facts Week, and as a parent of a tween/teen, I know you want to be able to talk to your teen about  drugs and know the facts...not just facts, but the correct facts.  So I’m joining teens, parents, teachers, and scientists across America to kick off National Drug Facts Week by offering up my own shoutout for educating teens about drug abuse. 

Below are some drug facts that every parent of a teenager and teenagers need to know.  Remember...KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
STEROID ABUSE CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS, EVEN IRREVERSIBLE HEALTH PROBLEMS:

• Liver damage
• Jaundice
• Fluid retention
• High blood pressure
• Renal failure
• Severe acne
• Trembling
• For men—shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts, increased risk for prostate cancer
• For women—growth of facial hair, male-pattern baldness, changes in or cessation of the menstrual cycle, enlargement of the clitoris, deepened voice
• For adolescents—stunted growth due to premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty changes; risk of not reaching expected height if AAS is taken before the typical adolescent growth spurt
• Plus, teens who inject steroids run the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV/AIDS or hepatitis, which causes serious damage to the liver

MDMA (Ecstasy) PRODUCES:

• Feelings of increased energy, euphoria, emotional warmth, and distortions in time, perception, and tactile experiences
• Confusion
• Depression
• Sleep problems
• Drug cravings
• Severe anxiety.
• Involuntary teeth clenching
• A loss of inhibitions
• Transfixion on sights and sounds
• Nausea
• Blurred vision
• Chills and/or sweating
• Increases in heart rate and blood pressure
• Seizures, are also possible
• "The stimulant effects of the drug enable users to dance for extended periods, which when combined with the hot crowded conditions usually found at raves, can lead to severe dehydration and hyperthermia or dramatic increases in body temperature. This can lead to muscle breakdown and kidney, liver and cardiovascular failure."
• Cardiovascular failure has been reported in some of the Ecstasy-related fatalities.

So not to make this blog post extremely long, here are the links on drugs I have written about in the past:

• MARIJUANA
• PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
• INHALANTS
• SALVIA
• CIGARETTES

Visit The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website for TEENS with your teen for a lot of useful information and fun activities.

Add your voice today and post your own drug abuse shoutout on your blog, Facebook profile, Twitter account—or wherever you see fit. When you choose to speak, you choose to act.

Learn more about today's "CyberShoutout" in support of National Drug Facts Week by checking NIDA’s Sara Bellum Blog, which will be posting updates all day and recognizing the voices of those who participate—Yours could be one of them!

 

TEEN TRENDS - MARIJUANA: MIND-ALTERING DRUG OR HARMLESS PLANT?

(This blog is written to inform parents and others of disturbing trends of teenagers.)

If you asked my daughter, Hollie, and her friends, and hundreds of other teens the above question, they would say marijuana is harmless and should be made legal. After reading this post, you can let me know what you think. (Should it be legal or not?)

Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant (cannabis sativa).

Strong forms of cannabis include Sinse-Milla, Hashish (Hash), and Hash Oil. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering (hallucinogen) drugs. They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in marijuana. Marijuana also contains more than 400 other chemicals:

• 20 times more ammonia that tobacco.
• 5 times more hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides than tobacco.

Marijuana's effect on the user depends on the potency of the THC it contains:

• Most marijuana has an average of 3% THC.
• Sinse-Milla (made from the buds & flowering tops of a female plant) has average of 7.5% THC, with a range as high as 24%.
• Hashish (the sticky resin from the female plant flowers) has an average of 3.6%, with a range as high as 28%.
• Hash Oil, a tar-like liquid distilled from Hashish, has an average of 16% THC, with a range as high as 43%.

STREET NAMES FOR MARIJUANA:

• Pot
• Weed
• Grass
• Mary Jane (Aunt Mary)
• Reefer
• Skunk
• Boom
• Gangster
• Texas Tea
• Maui Wowie
  

HOW IS MARIJUANA USED:

- Rolled in a cigarette (joint). (Smoking marijuana is the most harmful.)







- Smoked in a pipe (bong)

- Mixed with food
- Brewed in a tea
- Sliced open cigar & tobacco replaced with marijuana (blunt)





- When a blunt is smoked with a 40 ounce bottle of malt liquor, it is called a "B-49".
- Joints or blunts that include crack cocaine are known as "primos" or "woolies".
- Joints or blunts that are deeped in PCP are called "happy sticks", "wicky sticks", and "love boat".

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA? (The effects depend on the type of cannabis and how much THC it contains, how the drug is taken, and whether drinking and other drugs are being used.)

• Some teens feel nothing the first time marijuana is used. Others feel high (intoxicated).
• Teens become engrossed in ordinary sights, sounds or tastes, and trivial events become extremely funny.
• Time seems to go by slowly.
• Teens may suffer acute anxiety.
• In rare cases, a teen can have severe psychotic symptoms and will need emergency medical treatment.
• Hinders short-term memory.
• Teen has trouble with complex tasks, such as driving.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA:

• Research shows a teen's risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana.
• Heart rate doubles.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Blood vessels in eyes expand, so teen's eyes look red.
• Studies have shown marijuana smoke contains carcinogens. Marijuana smoke contains 50-70% more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke, but the link between marijuana and lung cancer remains unconfirmed.
• Marijuana users inhale deeper and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers, so marijuana users can have the same respiratory problems, chronic cough and bronchitis, as tobacco smokers. Because marijuana is usually smoked without a filter, the amount of carbon monoxide and tar inhaled by marijuana smokers is three to five times greater than that inhaled by tobacco smokers.
• Triggers a short-term drop in the hormone that directs growth and development.
• Lowers sperm count.
• Affects learning and memory processes and can cause forgetfulness and reduced concentration.
• Impairs logical thinking.
• Marijuana affects the brain and leads to impaired short-term memory, perception, judgment, and motor skills. Affects the balance of chemicals in the brain that regulates mood, energy, appetite, and attention. Has been associated with stroke, but there is no firmly established link.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR TEEN IS USING MARIJUANA?

• May seem dizzy and have trouble walking.
• Seems silly and giggly for no reason.
• Will have very red, bloodshot eyes.
• Have trouble remembering things that just happened.
• Your teen will get the "munchies".
• Coming off marijuana, your teen becomes very sleepy.
  

PARENTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF:

• Changes in behavior, depression, fatigue, and hostility.
• Carelessness with grooming.
• Deteriorating relationships with family and friends.
• Changes in academic performance.
• Increased absenteeism, skipping school.
• Lost interest in favorite activities.
• Changes in sleeping and eating habits.
  

PLUS BE AWARE OF:

• Signs of drug paraphenalia. (Read my post "To Snoop or Not To Snoop" for favorite hiding places of teenagers)
• Odors on clothes and in their bedroom.
• Use of incense or other deodorizers.
• Use of eyedrops.
• Clothing, posters, jewelry promoting drug use. (Hollie started drawing the marijuana leaf on everything.)

Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the US. Over 83 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once. Research shows nearly 50% of teenagers try marijuana before they gradurate from high school.

One of the dangers of smoking marijuana is the possibility that it has been laced with another, more dangerous substance, such as cocaine, crack, PCP, or even embalming fluid. Although reports of laced marijuana are infrequent, it is important to remember that with marijuana, your teen has no way of knowing what other types of substances have been added.

Smoking a joint that has been dipped in embalming fluid or formaldehyde has effects similar to those of a joint laced with PCP - a drug that causes hallucinations, euphoria, and often times, panic or rage. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen linked to nasal and lung cancer, with possible links to brain cancer and leukemia, and should not be smoked or ingested in any way.

MARIJUANA

MIND-ALTERING DRUG OR HARMLESS PLANT?

http://www.nida.nih.gov/
www.marijuana-info.org

TEEN TRENDS - "PHARMING PARTY" - THE DANGEROUS NEW "HIGH"

(This blog is written to inform parents & others of the disturbing trends of teenagers.)

Pharming parties - "A national trend in teen drug use where high school and middle school age children scour their parents' medicine cabinets for pharmaceuticals and pool their pills at parties, where they take random handfuls of the legally prescribed drugs."

At one time, kids raided their parents' liquor cabinet when they wanted to get high. Today, it's their medicine cabinet. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University estimates that 2.3 million children ages 12 to 17 take legal prescription drugs illegally every year.

For these parties, teens take whatever drugs they can get, combine them in a bag or bowl (pharming them out), taking handfuls at one time, and they have no idea what very dangerous interactions these drugs have. These parties are usually held while the parents are out of the house.

• 1 in 5 teens abuse Vicodin
• 1 in 10 teens abuse OxyContin
• 1 in 10 teens abuse Ritalin and/or Adderall
• 1 in 11 teens abuse OTC cough medicines

Prescription drugs have dangerous side effects, but these effects and dangers are intensified when combined with other prescription drugs, alcohol or illegal street drugs. Kids are mixing "uppers" and "downers" while drinking alcoholic beverages for a "high". The wrong combination can be deadly; breathing can become difficult or there can be a rapid drop or increase in heart rate.

REASONS FOR ABUSE:

• 62% - Easy to get
• 52% - Available
• 51% - Not illegal
• 49% - Can claim their prescription if caught

Compared with the rest of their peers, teens who abuse prescription drugs are...

• Twice as likely to use alcohol
• 5 times more likely to use marijuana
• 12 times more likely to use heroin
• 15 times more likely to use Ecstasy
• 21 times more likely to use cocaine
  

PHARMING TERMS:

• Pain relievers are known as: "Big boys", "cotton" & "kickers"
• Sedatives are known as: "Chill pills", "tranq" & "french fries"
• "Trail Mix": Name given for the mixture of various prescriptions served together at pharming parties.
• The "recipe": The combination of drugs served with alcohol.

SIGNS OF ABUSE:

• Grades drop
• Looses interest in activities and hobbies
• Changes friends, appearance, or behavior (a BIG Red Flag)
• Eating and sleeping patterns change
• Medicines disappear from the house or medicine cabinet, with no explanation
• Signs of drug abuse, such as slurred speech, dilated pupils, sweating, nausea, vomiting
  

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?

• Educate yourself about what kids are abusing, including prescription drugs.
• Don't be afraid to talk to kids about trends at school.
• Monitor Internet use - another major source of prescription drugs - monitor mail for unexplained packages.
• Educate yourself and other parents. Too many parents are not aware of the possibility of this kind of abuse.
• Clean out the medicine cabinet. Discard left-over and expired medications, either by burning them or placing them in coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are acidic & will desolve the pills. There are only certain pills that can safely be flushed without "drugging" the water supply.
• Talk to your teen about the dangers and your expectations. Teens need to hear that abusing prescription or OTC drugs is not safe and can result in death.
  

If you wonder if talking to your teen will have an impact, be assured that parents are a major force in the lives of their teens and children. 2/3 of teens say that losing their parents respect and pride was one of the main reasons they didn't use drugs.

If you are a parent of a teen, you probably already monitor your liquor cabinet (if you drink of course), but it's your medicine cabinet you need to worry about, especially if you are prescribed drugs for pain relief, anxiety or hyperactivity. Keep those medications locked and out of reach of your teens.

*http://www.azcentral.com/

TO SNOOP OR NOT TO SNOOP?

Over the past few weeks, I have been writing about some of the dangerous trends teenagers are involved in. All this may have parents wondering, do I snoop or not?

I believe teenagers have a right to privacy. After all, this is a time when they are becoming more independent and starting to make decisions on their own. BUT…once your teen steps into that danger zone of drugs, cutting, alcohol…then they lose their right to privacy.

Whether you snoop or not is a tough decision only you can make. A lot will depend on the kind of relationship you have with your teen. Just remember, it’s your house. I told my daughter I would be searching her room from time to time, but I never told WHEN I would be searching.

So how do you decide if you should “snoop” or not? If you notice a change in your child’s behavior, unusual odors coming from their room (like cigarette smoke or pot – learn to recognize what pot smells like) or if they use incense or Lysol to try to cover up those odors (it doesn’t really cover them up), then you need to find out what is going on behind those closed doors.

A lot of parents don’t want to upset their child, so they often ignore the obvious. I didn’t care if my daughter got upset with me. In fact, from the ages of 14 to almost 17, she stayed mad at me. And rightly so…I put her in treatment twice...I put her on house arrest, and every time she got mad and stormed out of the house, I would call the local police to go pick her up and bring her home. Yes, it killed me every time I saw her in the backseat of that patrol car, but the point I’m trying to make is that, as parents, we have to do whatever it takes to protect our children. You can’t be their best friend. You have to be the parent.
WHERE TO LOOK
Teenagers are very clever when it comes to hiding the alcohol, drugs or drug/cutting paraphernalia. Make sure you check all hiding spots:

- Dresser drawers beneath clothing
- Desk drawers
- CD/DVD/Video cases
- Jewelry boxes
- Backpack, purses, duffle bags (check all pockets)
- Under the bed
- Look for slits in the mattress, especially the under side
- In a plant, buried in the dirt
- In between books on a bookshelf
- Inside books with pages cut out
- Makeup cases – fake lipstick tubes or compacts
- Inside over-the-counter medicine bottles (Tylenol, Aleve)
- Inside empty candy bags, such as M&M’s and Skittles
- Inside jacket pockets or pockets in clothes hanging in their closet
- Inside shoes or boots

These are tough times our teens are living in, and if you suspect your child is drinking, using drugs or cutting, snooping can save your child.

JUST REMEMBER: It’s your home and your child. You set the rules, and even though you want to respect their right to privacy, it should never be at the price of his/her health or safety.

If you find alcohol or drugs, ask your child about it. Don’t avoid the subject. He will argue with you, but stand your ground and ignore his argument. Again, remember, it’s your house. Your rules. Your tough love will hurt you more than it hurts your child, and believe me, your child will thank you one day for that tough love you showed.

(If you find pills you don’t recognize, take them to your local pharmacist, he will be glad to identify them and tell you the effects they can have if abused.)

For more information, please visit http://drugfree.org/

TEEN TRENDS - "HUFFING"

( (This blog is written to inform parents & others of the disturbing trends of teenagers.)

WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOUR CHILD WAS HUFFING?

You come home from work and notice your child has a dazed, glassy-eyed look. His speech is slurred, and he’s stumbling. Then you realize..."My child is high." Your first thought may be “where did he get drugs?” or “where did he get money to buy drugs?” You may be surprised to learn that he used everyday products that you keep in your cabinets…hairspray, cleaning fluids, nail polish remover, glue, markers, paint, lighter fluid, and gasoline…to name a few.

More than 1,000 products can be used as inhalants.

*"Huffing is the purposeful inhalation of chemical vapors to achieve an altered mental or physical state." Huffing is used as a general term for any type of inhalant abuse. There are 3 ways to abuse inhalants:

Huffing - to huff an inhalant, you soak a rag in an inhalant and press the rag to your mouth.

Sniffing - to sniff an inhalant, you sniff or snort fumes from an aerosol can. You may even spray an aerosol product straight into your nose or mouth.

Bagging - to bag an inhalant, you inhale fumes from a product sprayed or poured into a plastic or paper bag.

STREET NAMES FOR HUFFING:

• Amys
• Climax
• Hippie Crack
• Snappers
• Poppers
• Glading
• Head Cleaner

Huffing has become popular among 12 to 17-year-olds, but children as young as 6-years-old have been known to try huffing. Inhalants are the fourth most abused substance in the U.S. because of its easy accessibility and low cost.

The risks of huffing are scary and every parent's nightmare.

HUFFING CAN KILL THE VERY FIRST TIME A CHILD EXPERIMENTS WITH IT.

*“Sudden sniffing death (SSD) may result minutes after inhalant abuse from irregular heart rhythm leading to heart failure. Other causes of death include asphyxiation, aspiration or suffocation.”

Other risks include dizziness, slurred speech, loss of coordination, weakness, fatigue, liver and kidney damage, permanent brain damage, hearing loss, seizures, hallucinations, bizarre thoughts, loss of consciousness, and death.

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CHILD IS HUFFING:

• Hidden rags, clothes or empty containers.
• Chemical odors on breath or clothes.
• Paint or other stains on face, hands or clothing.
• Drunk or dazed appearance, slurred speech, irritability, and depression.

Most huffing takes place with friends, so know your child’s friends. Be alert. The characteristic chemical odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for clothing that smells like chemicals or cleaning fluid. Watch for sores or rashes around the mouth. Nausea, lack of appetite, weight loss, restlessness, anger outbursts, and poor school performance can also be signs of abuse.

Start talking to your child now about huffing. Some children, as young as 6-years-old, have already tried huffing.

If you suspect your child is huffing, seek professional help. Treating inhalant abuse can be very dangerous. Withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, nausea, vomiting, sweating, rapid heartbeat, and hallucinations are possible and usually requires inpatient treatment.

**OF IMPORTANCE: Besides using inhalants, teens can also search your medicine cabinets for prescription drugs that they can get high on. And believe me, they don't care what they take or how much. My daughter came in from school one day, and I could tell she taken something, so I asked her what she had taken, and she didn't know. A kid at school was giving out prescription pills, and she didn't know what they were. Be sure to keep all prescription drugs in a locked cabinet, especially narcotics, such as Lorcet, Darvocet, Percocet, OxyContin. There are too many to list here. Narcotic prescriptions are usually given for severe pain, and when taken as prescribed, are very helpful. When narcotics are taken in larger quantities, it produces intense pleasure. a general calmness, and temporary high or overdose that can cause death.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE IF YOUR CHILD IS ABUSING NARCOTICS:

• Decreasing grades, or decreased attendance at school.
• Your child may begin to borrow money from parents, sisters and brothers, or friends. He may also begin to steal small items.
• Your child may begin to wear sunglasses a lot, even at night.
• Your child may have sudden angry outbreaks.
• Your child may stop taking care of his hair and clothes. He may begin to look sloppy. - Your child may suddenly get secretive about his activities. He may also want to keep you from going in his room, or through his things.
• Your child's attitude may change. He may become angry and downbeat.
• Your child's friends may change. His new friends may be known as drug users.
  

STAY ALERT & BE AWARE OF YOUR TEEN & HIS/HER FRIENDS' ACTIVITIES. BECOME THAT "THORN" IN YOUR TEEN'S SIDE. IT JUST MIGHT SAVE HIS/HER LIFE.


*http://www.mayoclinic.com/, http://www.usdoj.gov/, www.drugs.com/cg/narcotic-abuse.html

TEEN TRENDS - "TRIPLE C"

(This blog is written to inform parents & others of the disturbing trends of teenagers.)

Coricidin Cough and Cold HBP (CCC) is an over-the-counter cold medication that is safe for people with high blood pressure to take to treat cold symptoms.

To teenagers and young adults, it is known as Triple C, skittles, Red Devils, Robo, and Poor Man’s PCP, because when taken in large quantities, it produces hallucinations and dissociative effects similar to those experienced with PCP. On the street, it is known as "Robo-tripping” and “skittling”. It's easy access and low cost makes it more attractive to teenagers than other street drugs. It is easily shop-lifted.

The main, active ingredient in Coricidin, Robitussin and other cold medications is Dextromethorphan or DXM. Additional ingredients, including pain relievers and antihistamines, produces additional side effects and compounds the risks associated with DXM.

SYMPTOMS OF ABUSE:

• Increased body temperature
• Sweating
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Irregular heartbeat
• High blood pressure
• Numbness of fingers and toes
• Headache
• Blurred vision
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness
• Brain damage
• Possible overdose and death
  

TYPICAL CLINICAL PRESENTATION (how to tell if your teen is using DXM) OF DXM INTOXICATION:

• Hyperexcitability
• Lethargy
• Ataxia (lack of coordination)
• Slurred speech
• Sweating
• Hypertension
• Nystagmus (shaking or wobbling of the eyes)

MY STORY

I became familiar with this drug when my daughter, Hollie, and her friend "almost" over-dosed (yes, between the ages of 13 and almost 17 my daughter kept me on my toes). My niece had a friend who took 18 Coricidin pills at one time, and he suffered a stroke. Hollie took 19 pills at one time (wanting to get high). I don't know how many her friend took. Hollie passed out (this was after school while I was still at work). Luckily, her friend's brother was there and woke her up long enough for her to call her grandmother, who came and rushed her to the emergency room. She was fortunate enough to have survived, but it scared her to the point where she won't even take a Tylenol now.

So if you ever hear your teen and their friends talking about Triple C, skittles, Red Devils or if they say someone is “robo-trippin”, you really need to pay attention to what is being said, and ask questions, because their life could depend on it.

The day after this experience, Hollie told me what happened while she was passed out. She said she saw a bright light and off in the distance were these large, golden gates. She said it was very peaceful, but it was only there for a couple of seconds, and then everything went black. She said she felt she was in a pit. It was dark, smoky, and she heard a lot of moaning. Then she said she felt she was on fire; her arms, her legs, feet, all over. Her friend said she was screaming, "put me out, I'm on fire". Then they woke her up and called her grandmother. So, I told her that I believe at that moment God chose to give her a glimpse of what Heaven would be like and a glimpse of how it would feel in Hell. She was given a second chance, and luckily she is taking all this very seriously. As I said in my other post, this fall she will enroll in college to become a youth minister, so she can help other teens.

TEEN TRENDS

I am starting a blog series this week on teen trends.

Hopefully, these blogs will serve to inform other parents about these popular trends and what signs to look for, and also to educate parents of middle school-aged children and preteens about these very dangerous trends that our children are playing with every day.

Some topics to be discussed will include self mutilation, Triple C, huffing, and the choking game, plus a few others, so stay tuned....