Drug Identification
Drug identification skills can be an important parenting
tool in preventing drug use by children as well as allowing
parents to be better equipped to deal with a problem that
does arise. Knowing what certain illegal drugs look or smell
like will allow parents to better monitor what is going on
in the home. If an unknown substance if found in a child’s
room, drug identification is the first step in measuring
the severity and potential health risks of the problem. Additionally,
drug identification guides may educate parents on the presenting
behaviors associated with the intake of certain drugs. Knowing
what physical and behavioral signs to look for will enable
parents to better identity when a child is under the influence
and what they may have taken.
Being proficient at drug identification will allow for early detection of use
and the best course of action for an effective intervention. Resources and guides
have been developed to aid in drug identification and can be found online or
in local book stores. These resource tools include descriptions of different
illegal drugs, pictures of and the behaviors presented by use. In addition to
mere drug identification, these handbooks also detail the physical effects, level
of addictiveness and proper course of treatment for recovery. Once a drug problem
is discovered in a loved one, be sure proper medical attention is sought to confirm
the drug identification and the best treatment approach.
Many schools, police departments and health care facilities utilize drug identification
guides to categorize substances and research the presenting behaviors associated
with its use. Even dogs are used by the police in drug identification. Police
dogs may be specially trained to react or bark differently depending on the type
of substance found. This drug identification then allows the police officers
to search more thoroughly for further contraband.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article.
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