EVIDENCE OF DRUG USE HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Parents have been known to search for evidence that their children are
using drugs, but in some instances, those hints might be in plain view.

That's because usage today involves much more than well-known drugs, such
as marijuana and cocaine, said teen drug-use expert Mark A. Middleton, a
detective for the Martin County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office.

They include drugs many people might not have heard of - like Ecstasy, GHB,
Ketamine and Rohypnol - as well as forms of crystal methamphetamine. Others
are drugs with long histories, such as LSD and heroin.

Authorities call them "designer drugs" because they are lab-manufactured.

"Ecstasy is very popular," Middleton said. "GHB is out of control." He also
is worried about methamphetamine, which is already popular in northwest
Alabama.

Middleton, who travels across the country conducting seminars on the
dangers of designer drugs, said, "It's the biggest drug trend today," among
teenagers and young adults.

Their newness and the fact that they quickly leave a person's system are
among the reasons for their popularity, said Middleton, who has done
programs in the Shoals, including one at the 1999 state Drug Abuse
Resistance Education convention in Sheffield.

The drugs are popular at nightclubs and "raves," all-night parties where
the drugs are often sold and used, he said.

They also include "date-rape" drugs, which get their nickname because they
often are put into drinks and given to victims.

They are known to limit the victim's ability to physically resist a sexual
assault, and victims often have difficulty remembering what happened
afterward, he said.

Middleton raises eyebrows at seminars when he tosses out candy, eye drops
and water bottles and tells the audience designer drugs have been found in
them.

The drugs are easy for teens to hide because they are small. And it's hard
to know what to look for when searching for the drugs unless you've been
educated on the subject.

Water bottles are popular everywhere.

They also are a good place to dissolve GHB, Middleton said.

However, it's easy to detect the drug in them, he added.

When you shake the bottle, the water clouds up when the drug is present.

He advises parents to look closely at their children's clothes because the
trend today is for many clothing items to have secret pockets and compartments.

That's where police often find drugs.

Pacifiers also have become a popular trend among many youths. Middleton
said that started because stimulants like Ecstasy make users clinch their
jaws and grind their teeth.

The pacifiers are supposed to help reduce the grind. Middleton said he
often sees pacifiers chewed through at rave busts.

That demonstrates how terrifyingly intense the grinding is.

"I've seen kids who are 21 or 22 years old and have teeth ground down like
they were in their 60s," he said.

(SIDEBAR)

By Design

Designer drug use continues to be a growing trend in the United States.
Some of the more popular drugs and information about them:

- - METHAMPHETAMINE Street names: Crystal, meth, speed, ice, crank.
Appearance: Tan, brown, white or yellow powder, chunk, shavings. Effects:
Decreased attention span, sweating, grinding teeth, itching, tremors,
violence, hallucinations, inability to remain still.

- - ECSTASY (Methlendioxymethamphetamine) Street names: X, rolls, beans,
doves, quarter caps, splits. Appearance: Tablet, capsule, powder. Some
tablets have designs stamped on them. Effects: High energy, teeth grinding,
adverse effect on the brain and liver.

- - GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) Street names: Liquid E, liquid X, Grievous
Bodily Harm. Appearance: Clear liquid or white powder. Effects: Decreased
inhibitions, intoxication, shallow breathing, amnesia, unresponsive sleep.
This is considered a "date-rape drug."

- - SPECIAL-K (Ketamine) Street names: K, Kat, K-waves. Appearance: White
powder or clear liquid. Effects: Ringing in ears, numbness, tunnel vision,
drunken feeling, shortness of breath.

- - RUFFIES (Rohypnol) Street names: Roach 2, R-2, shays, wheels, mind
erasers. Appearance: White tablets with a single or crossed line. The
tablets often have "Roche" printed on one side and the numbers 1 or 2
encircled on the other side. Effects: Decreased blood pressure, memory
impairment, drowsiness, confusion, visual disturbance. This is considered a
"date-rape drug."

- - HEROIN Street names: H, horse, manteca, teca, boy. Appearance: White or
tan powder. Effects: Respiratory depression, vomiting, pinpoint pupils that
don't react to light, drooped eyelids, slurred speech, slowed walking.

- - LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide) Street names: Acid, microdots, blotter
acid, paper acid, tabs, windowpane. Appearance: Clear, colorless, odorless
liquid. Effects: Hallucinations, paranoia, mood swings, delusions,
decreased attention span, rapid speech, poor muscle coordination