ADULTS MUST RECOGNIZE PROBLEM SIGNS OF USE

Law enforcement and drug intervention agencies can try to reduce the
number of teens and young adults using club drugs.

But they emphasize they can't do it alone. That's where parents,
guardians, and educators come into play.

"They have to check things out," said Jay Salvage, executive director
of the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Lucas County.

That might be hard for an adult or even another teen to do if they
don't know what they're looking for, Mr. Salvage and other officials
acknowledged.

There are some signs, however, that may suggest the need to question a
youth about whether he or she is using club drugs, said Traci Jadlos,
community youth coordinator with The Community Partnership, a
coalition dedicated to substance abuse prevention and
intervention.

Some club drug users may wear butterfly wings, the international
symbol for Ecstasy, on shirts or hats - some of which may have a
hidden compartment for drugs, she said. Parents may find glow sticks
or pacifiers, which users suck because their teeth clench
involuntarily when taking Ecstasy.

Ms. Jadlos said some users may wear candy necklaces that have Ecstasy
pills among the candy pieces. They may remove the liquid in bubble
necklaces and fill the tube with GHB.

Some users melt Tootsie Rolls in the microwave, insert an Ecstasy
pill, and reroll the candy, which they can eat anywhere, she said.

Officers in Wood County told Ms. Jadlos that they have heard of some
Ecstasy pills being made to look like cartoon characters and disguised
as multivitamins.

If parents or guardians find dust masks and vapor rub in their
children's rooms, they may want to be concerned, she said. Some drug
users rub the medicine onto the mask and wear it after they've taken
Ecstasy for a more intense tingling sensation.

Ms. Jadlos said that some "foam parties" held at private homes could
suggest drug use. Machines can be rented that pump out foam, which can
be fun for all partygoers - especially those using drugs like Ecstasy
who need to be cooled down because their body temperatures can reach
as high as 106 degrees after taking the drugs, she said.

"They are literally boiling inside their own bodies," she said.