| Drug and substance abuse among teenagers, is | | | | 6. Continual wearing of long-sleeved garments |
| substantial. According to a national survey, amongst | | | | particularly in hot weather or reluctance to wear |
| youth age 12 to 17, about 1.1 million meet the | | | | short-sleeved attire may be an attempt to conceal |
| diagnostic criteria for dependence on drugs in the | | | | the rashes on the skin, which are common side |
| United States. Different substances/drugs lend | | | | effects of drug abuse, or needle marks on lower |
| themselves to different groups of symptoms. The | | | | arm, leg or bottom of feet. |
| most glaring symptom in all cases is a change, | | | | 7. Now drugs don’t come free! If you find your |
| sometimes a radical one, in behavior. | | | | kids borrowing money from friends, co-workers or |
| 10 Things: | | | | from you unusually frequently, you should better be |
| 1. If you wish to identify a potential drug abuser in | | | | argus-eyed because this may get your near and dear |
| your home, the first area that you should look for is | | | | ones in some serious trouble. |
| sudden personality change that includes abrupt | | | | 8. An unusual increased secretiveness or secretive |
| changes in work or school attendance, quality of | | | | behavior regarding actions and possessions is a |
| work, work output, grades, discipline etc. | | | | certain indication that something fishy is going on. |
| 2. Unusual flare-ups or outbreaks of temper, sudden | | | | 9. Some physical signs of substance abuse include |
| jitteriness, nervousness, or aggression are a major | | | | slurred speech, memory impairment, and lack of |
| denotation of drug addiction or abuse. | | | | concentration & impairment of attention along with |
| 3. Persistent drug abuse may also lead to withdrawal | | | | slowed or staggering walk due to poor physical |
| from responsibility & loss of interest in what were | | | | coordination. This may also lead to tremors or shakes |
| once favorite hobbies and pursuits. This may come | | | | of hands, feet or head and an irregular heartbeat. |
| packaged with an unusual laziness. | | | | 10. If you have a doggy nose, try smelling his/her |
| 4. Changes in friends and reluctance to have friends | | | | breath & clothes! There may be a smell of substance |
| visit or talk about them and/or association with | | | | drug on breath, body or clothes of the abuser. |
| known substance abusers should also be taken | | | | Sometimes, in lack of conclusive evidence, it |
| seriously. | | | | becomes difficult to arrive at a ratiocination of |
| 5. Some drugs may lead to redness in eyes which | | | | substance abuse diagnosis. There are a number of |
| the abuser tends to hide away by wearing | | | | practical and empirical methods to determine drug |
| sunglasses. So wearing sunglasses at inappropriate | | | | abuse, among them being urine, blood or hair follicle |
| times is a potential giveaway. | | | | testing & subsequent detection by GC/MS/ELISA. |