THE EVER-CHANGING DRUG SCENE

Parents, are you aware of the drugs your kids may encounter out there
today? Do the acronyms DXM, AMT and 2-CB mean anything to you? When your
kids talk about going to a "carnival" or a "festival," should you be worried?

A new study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that parents
do tend to spend time telling their teenagers to stay away from alcohol,
marijuana and cocaine, but they aren't communicating with them about the
new drugs, the synthetic pills that are easy to sneak into a party and that
can be every bit as damaging as anything they could smoke, snort or drink.

By now, most people have heard of ecstasy, a drug taken in pill form with
the promise that it will make its users feel empathy, friendship and an
overall state of happiness.

The study found that 92 percent of parents had heard of it, but that nearly
half of them wouldn't be able to recognize its symptoms in their own children.

The study found that 1 percent of parents believe their children have tried
ecstacy, while 12 percent of teenagers admit to trying it.

Parents, it's time to get a clue. Recent studies have found that even minor
ecstasy use can cause brain damage.

A researcher at Johns Hopkins University found that two or three tablets
could destroy the cells that produce chemicals necessary to control
movement and emotions.

These problems may become more acute as a person ages. Even a little
experimenting with these drugs can lead to irreversible effects.

For the record, here are the symptoms to look for, according to the
Associated Press -- blurred vision, rapid eye movements, chills or
sweating, dehydration, confusion, faintness, severe anxiety, the grinding
of teeth and a trancelike state.

Kids used to suck on pacifiers to alleviate the teeth-grinding. Today,
however, they don't want to look so obvious.

Chances are they will find some hard candy, instead.

Kids used to use these drugs at parties called "raves." Now, as Congress
and other concerned groups try to crack down, they are shying away from
that term. Those parties are called carnivals or festivals.

For parents, keeping up with the ever-changing drug culture may seem
daunting. But your child's future may depend on it. One thing that never
seems to change with these studies is the finding that teenagers are less
likely to use a drug if their parents have talked to them about it and its
harmful side-effects.