Tell
Tale Signs of a Pot-Smoking Youngster
Pot use
is difficult to detect. But since virtually all poly-drug
use (the use of several drugs at the same time) starts with
chronic pot use, parents should be aware of the following
signs of the marijuana-using youngster. However, experts point
out kids may have only some symptoms, and some pot-using kids
have none.
- The
most obvious sign is finding a pot pipe, marijuana rolling
papers, a cellophane "baggy" of marijuana and/or drug
paraphernalia ("bongs" etc.) for using or hiding pot.
Don't be reassured by your kid's insistence that "Johnny
must have left it here." (Unfortunately, a classic symptom
of the drug-abusing youngster is lying.)
- Red eyes.
Many youngsters take care of this with eye drops -- which,
in themselves, are a suspicious sign.
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- A distorted
time sense. If you suspect your child is stoned, ask him to click
his fingers when a minute is up. They're likely to do this after
10 to 20 seconds. (Stoned drivers often think they're driving
slowly, carefully, when they may be speeding.)
- A drop in
school performance. Not necessarily from A's to D's, but from
A's and B's to C's for example.
- Caring less
about everything; school, sports, other extracurricular activities,
hobbies the child used to enjoy.
- A change
from active, normally competitive interest to passivity and withdrawal.
- General loss
of appetite, yet craving for sweets ("the munchies").
- Estrangement
from the family, inexplicable mood changes, irritability, hostility.
Strongly inappropriate overreaction to mild criticism.
- Impairment
of short-term memory, judgment, capacity to reason and to think
clearly.
- A chronic
cough, chest pains, depression, feeling of loneliness.
- Feelings
of paranoia. Fatigue and loss of vitality. "Flattened" speech
and expression. Sleep disturbances. Menstrual irregularities.
- Strange phone
calls, secretiveness, vagueness about social activities. Friends
who refuse to identify themselves or hang up when you answer the
phone.
- Less attention
paid to cleanliness of body, hair, clothes.
- Disappearance
of money or items of value from the home.
- Impaired
ability to fight off common infections.
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