PARENTS, BE WARY ABOUT DRUG ABUSE

Well, it is already the end of the school year and some families can
get some peace now.

A freshman's start at high school can be very difficult. Parents and
grandparents have had to struggle with their children taking alcohol,
prescription drugs and illicit drugs.

It is too often the same scene at high school "" police officers
there to test a student for alcohol. I pray for the ones who didn't
have someone to pick them up and help reinforce what is right and wrong.

Some of the children were honor students, presidential scholars from
their middle schools. Parents go to their local drug store to buy kits
to test their children for drugs at home. Those tests are not
reliable. They do not test for oxycodone (Percocet) or hyrdocodone
(Lortab).

Our children are taking prescription drugs to schools and passing them
out like candy. Recently, two girls were tested, one with the
over-the-counter tests and one from a lab. Both girls received the
drugs together at the same time. The over-the-counter one came back
negative for everything. The standard lab test showed morphine. The
"oeopiates of abuse" panel came back with Dilaudid, a morphine derivative.

Parents beware. Get the right drug test, or run the risk of missing
the most commonly abused drugs. These are strong pain medications.
These can put a 110-pound girl or boy in a coma. The kids in school
have no idea of dosages or side affects of these drugs. It could be
fatal.

Parents, if you have a loved one with cancer and these drugs are
around, please check them. Parents, if you have alcohol, check your
cabinets.

Schools teachers and officers can only do so much. We have to be like
detectives and besides, it takes a village to keep up with our teens.

Betty Trigueiro

Lakewood Ranch