Neighborhood Meth Labs

Meth labs are everywhere. They are usually set up in a rental house that can be abandoned quickly if the need arises. The bad news is there may be one located in your neighborhood without you even suspecting it. The good new is there are tell tale signs that draw attention to a house that is being used as a meth lab.

The outside of the house itself will tell you a lot. If there is a meth lab inside, they do not want you to see what is going on. The windows will always have heavy curtains that are never open, or the windows may be boarded up or painted black to keep people from seeing in. There is no way they can mask the chemical odor that is produced by what they are doing, there will be a chemical smell in the air. If you notice a lot of containers such as bottles and jars in the trash but there is no regular garbage such as food scraps, food containers or packages from a grocery store it should raise suspicions. If you see discarded material, including coffee filters, that may have been used to filter red phosphorus/chemicals, take note. There may be chemical burns in the grass from dumping waste outside. If they have BEWARE OF DOG signs posted and you have never seen any evidence of one, they may be hoping to deter visitors.

You’ll probably notice frequent comings and goings at all times of the day and night, with none of them staying more than a few minutes. The people who are always at the house are very unlikely to be friendly to anyone. The likelihood of anyone in the house having a real job that they go to every day is slim to none, yet they will have money to pay the rent and utilities. In all instances they will use cash to pay their bills. No one will want their name on a checking account, or even on a money order. If there are smokers in the house, you can bet that they will be smoking outside as the chemicals that are inside are extremely flammable. If they are outside for any reason you’ll probably notice that they are paranoid about watching cars that drive by the house, or even walkers passing by.

Maybe no one of these signs alone can point to a meth lab, but as these things add up, there becomes a better chance that there is one. Whatever you do, don’t approach the house or do anything that will arouse suspicion by the occupants. Call the police and report your observations, then let them take it from there.


If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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Who's Dealing These Days?

Can you identify a drug dealer? I think most everyone has some type of preconceived notion of what a drug dealer looks like. Do you think of a sly looking guy with a hooded sweat shirt covering his face, or at least keeping it in the shadows? Does he have long hair that looks like it needs a good washing? Is he covered with visible piercings and/or tattoos? Is he hanging around alley ways or in the door ways of abandoned buildings? Maybe some or all of these characteristics come to mind, and that is what you see most often in the movies.

Is it that easy in reality? Read on and see if you think it is. Would you believe that hundreds of drug dealers that are arrested every year are apprehended while they are attending school? Of this figure all are under the age of sixteen. Some of them are as young as nine years old. That would make them grade school children, possibly only in the fourth grade. These baby faced drug dealers are in our schools, dealing drugs to their friends between classes, during recess or lunch, and before or after school. They may have suppliers who are older and probably coaching them, but make no mistake about it; there are children who are drug dealers. Believe this, if there are children in our schools who are dealing drugs, there are probably ten times as many other children, who are buying them and who are using them. Some of those who are caught buying and or using drugs at school are dealt with by the school, often with the help of the child’s parents. That means that the numbers of reported arrests of these drug using children at school are deflated.

Make it your business to know your child’s friends and their families. Do no take for granted that your child is safe while they are visiting and playing with their friends, thinking that surely there is an adult supervising their activities. Talk to the parents of your children’s friends. Meet them and know exactly where they live. Talk to the teachers at the schools, become involved in your child’s life when they are away from you. Volunteer at the school, maybe as a hall monitor, a cafeteria monitor or a play ground supervisor. Talk to your children about drugs. Tell them what to say if they are approached and offered free or cheap drugs. If you don’t tell them about drugs, someone else would be more than happy to do it for you. It might just be one of his young friends.


If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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Withdrawal of Heroin

It is not uncommon for a heroin user to develop a physical dependency to the drug. A physical dependency occurs when the body becomes accustomed to having the drug present. Without the drug, it will start going into withdrawal until the drug is reintroduced into the body. This is where it is difficult for heroin users to kick the addiction. The withdrawal symptoms from heroin are pretty intense and when a user does not have proper medical and supportive care during the withdrawal stage, it is unfortunately too common for them to use again.

When a heroin user abruptly stops using, he or she will start feeling withdrawal symptom as soon as 3 hours after the last use. Think about that for a minute. If they begin to experience withdrawal symptoms as soon as three hours after the last use you can see why a heroin user would do whatever it took for them to stay “medicated.” The symptoms that begin to occur three hours after last use can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (“cold turkey”), and kicking movements (“kicking the habit”). The cold flashes with goose bumps is where the term “cold turkey” was derived from and the kicking movement is where the term “kicking the habit” was derived from.

The craving for the drug increases as time past with the peak of the major withdrawal symptoms occurring between 48 and 72 hours after the last administration of heroin. It takes a good week and sometimes more for the withdrawal symptoms to subside but a user can experience lingering persistent symptoms for up to a month after the last use.

On a better note, the withdrawal of heroin is considered less dangerous than alcohol or barbiturate withdrawal. However, for a heavy heroin user in poor health, withdrawal symptoms can be occasionally fatal.

The crave for heroin can persist years after drug cessation. This is why it is so important for a user to have a strong support system. Triggers such as stress, people and places the user once associated with the use of heroin, and things associated with the drug can bring on a more severe craving.

If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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Heroin Facts

Black Tar Heroin
Close-up Picture Of Heroin

Heroin is an opiate drug synthesized from morphine. It usually appears as a white or brown powder or as a black sticky substance referred to as “Black Tar Heroin.”

Heroin users will inject, snort, or smoke the drug to give it a rapid delivery to the brain. Regardless of method used for administration of the heroin, all can lead to addiction and cause other serious health issues.

When heroin enters the brain it converts into morphine effecting the receptors involved in the perception of reward and pain, and the opioid receptor in the brain stem that deal with automatic processes such as breathing, blood pressure, and arousal. The most common heroin overdose involves the suppression of the respiration.

Those who inject heroin feel a immediate rush followed shortly by dry mouth, warm flush of the skin, heavy feeling limbs, and a clouded mental functioning. This is followed by a “nod phase” where the user will alternate between a wakeful and drowsy state. Other methods of delivery go through the same sequence except not all will experience the initial rush. Heroin users develop a tolerance for the drug and will have to use more to achieve the same effects they once experienced on a lesser amount of heroin.

Heroin abuse is associated with many serious health conditions such as:
• fatal overdose
• spontaneous abortion
• particularly in users who inject the drug—infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis
• collapsed veins
• infection of the heart lining and valves
• abscesses
• liver or kidney disease
• Pulmonary complications, including various types of pneumonia, may result from the poor health of the abuser as well as from heroin’s depressing effects on respiration
• Street heroin often contains toxic contaminants or additives that can clog the blood vessels leading to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or brain, causing permanent damage to vital organs.
• physical dependence


If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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Marijuana – The Gateway Drug for our Youth

What is the most popular used drug amongst the youth of today? The answer - Marijuana. Not much different from previous generations, marijuana remains the drug of choice among 60% of the youth that use drugs.

In the 60’s when marijuana stood as an icon of the era, the drug was far less potent then it is today. Today, the youth buying marijuana on the streets can easily find them selves in possession of marijuana that has been laced with other more potent drugs. Yearly, 100,000 teens are treated for marijuana dependency and with that dependency comes withdrawal. Although withdrawal of marijuana dependency is not near as severe as many other drugs, there are still physically symptoms associated with it.

Marijuana has always been proven a gateway to harder drugs and should never be looked at as “just a phase” ones youth may be experiencing. Research has proven that the earlier teens start using marijuana the more likely they are to become dependent upon marijuana or other drugs later in life.

Although a small percentage may try marijuana out of curiosity and never use it again, others use it as an escape or to fit in amongst peers and develop a dependency to it. There are various reasons why a teen may start using from home life difficulties to simple curiosity. The key is to know your child at all levels so you can quickly determine if drugs have become a part of their life. By having an open communication line to where your child feels safe in coming to you if they have tried marijuana even out of curiosity can make the difference between a one time thing to a dependency that can lead to harder drugs.

Some of the signs teenagers exhibit when using marijuana are: dizziness and trouble walking, red bloodshot eyes, trouble remembering things that just happened, sleepy, and they often appear silly and giggly for no apparent reason. Some teens feel no effects from marijuana the first few times they smoke it. Others can sometimes experience bad effects from marijuana. They may become highly paranoid or have feelings of anxiety or dizziness (N.I.D.A.).

There are many mixed messages being sent out to the youth today about marijuana use. It is up to the guardians to make sure the correct message is being sent - marijuana is an illegal substance that affects teens in many harmful ways. The earlier you start discussing marijuana and other drugs with your children, being open and honest with them, and letting them know you are available to them for discussion at anytime you automatically lower the statistics of your child becoming dependent upon any drug.

If you need help, are struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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Do you know where your teen is at?

More and more teen centered clubs are opening up in communities both small and large. The idea behind them at first were very honorable, and although there are still some of those teen clubs that are providing what they promised to deliver, more have gone far astray.

Initially, when the new late night teen clubs started to surface, the idea behind them was to provide a safe place for teens to “hang out” rather then be on the street finding mischief or worse. Kids over 19 were not allowed and supervision was provided. The “clubs” were housed with video games, couches, pool tables, music systems and most had a dance floor. They were a place for the teens to hangout for cheap on weekend nights and during the summer. Some during the summer were open to the youth throughout the day as well during the summer months. The concept was great, but it didn’t take long for corruption to find its way in.

Teen youth clubs might as well have a big ol’ “X” on it because it was an easy target for the less desirables looking to make a score and a huge profit – the drug dealers. If the dealers were not hanging out near by to entice the youth to enhance their “clubbing” experience, they were buying into the concept totally and opening their own “youth clubs.” It was fresh clientele for them, clientele that was very vulnerable. Many of the youth that frequent youth clubs do not have much guidance at home. The clubs were a cheap babysitter for parents that had other things on their agenda then spending time with their youth. Some parents put their trust into the concept and just thought of the youth clubs just a great place for their children to hang out with their friends.

For those clubs infiltrated with drugs and alcohol, both the inattentive and the attentive trusting parents found out the hard way that entrusting or just assuming a place is a safe place for their child to hang out can be dramatically opposite. In addition, sadly to say, it is not just the teen clubs that can have danger lurking within or near. Movie theaters, bowling alleys, pool halls, and video arcades are places that can be just as dangerous for teens in groups without supervision.

Supervision cannot be mistaken the same as employees or owners of these types of establishments. They have no real invested interest in your child other than the money your child brings to the establishment. Unless you know the owner/employee personally, supervision means a parent or relative of the youth that actually does have a stake in the child’s well being.

Prevention is the best gift you could ever give your youth. As a parent you should check on your child and make sure that the places they frequent are safe and in good standards. Know what is going on in your teen’s life. Not just what their grades are at school, but on a personal level as well.


If you suspect that your teenager is involved with drugs, get the facts, stay informed, know the risks, and seek help.

If you need help, struggling with an addiction, or know of someone who is, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/

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The Common Household Product, a Threat to Our Society

Since the 80’s, abuse of the common household cleaning products and other products you would use for office or shop use has become more commonplace, especially amongst our youth. Products such as White-Out, paint thinner, spray paint, solvents, computer aerosol duster, felt tip markers, air freshener, butane, cooking spray, various types of glue, gasoline, deodorant spray, fabric protector spray, whipping cream aerosols, hair spray, and household cleaners are more likely to be abused by kids in the 12-17 year age range group because the ease of accessibility.

The high is achieved by inhaling the product through the nose or mouth. Some practice spraying the chemical into a paper sack or a rag and the inhaling it through their mouth referred to as huffing or bagging. Products such as White Out, markers, and various glues are sniffed. It has been shown that kids who start with household product abuse are more likely to try illicit drugs, such as meth, cocaine, and marijuana.

Sign that can indicate household product use to achieve a high in your child are glassy/glazed eyes, loss of appetite, chemical smells coming from their child’s breath or clothing, signs of paint or other products on the face or fingers, and missing household products. Your child will appear as if they are drunk. Effects achieved by abuse of household products are lightheadedness, dizziness, loss of inhibitions, excitation followed by drowsiness, slurred speech, euphoria, hallucinations, and delusions.

The high achieved by abusing household products is short lived resulting in the user to continue to use repeatedly in order to maintain the high. This can easily lead to loss of consciousness and even death. It is not uncommon for a youth to die from a single use of household product abuse or damage to the brain or kidney failure.

If you suspect your child is abusing household products, seek professional help immediately. It is highly dangerous and the risk of death is very high and very real.

If you need help or know of someone who does, please contact A Better Tomorrow today. We are here to help.
http://www.abttc.net/
Phone: 800.971.1586
Fax: 800.401.8464
24 Hour Addiction HelpLine
Tel. (800) 396-9389 (7 days 24 hours)
e-mail: info@24houraddictionhelp.com
http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/