Pubdate: Fri, 28 May 2010 Source: Bradenton Herald (FL) Copyright: 2010 Bradenton Herald Contact: http://www.bradenton.com/contact_us/feedback/ Website: http://www.bradenton.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/58 Author: Betty Trigueiro PARENTS, BE WARY ABOUT DRUG ABUSE Well, it is already the end of the school year and some families can get some peace now. A freshman's start at high school can be very difficult. Parents and grandparents have had to struggle with their children taking alcohol, prescription drugs and illicit drugs. It is too often the same scene at high school "" police officers there to test a student for alcohol. I pray for the ones who didn't have someone to pick them up and help reinforce what is right and wrong. Some of the children were honor students, presidential scholars from their middle schools. Parents go to their local drug store to buy kits to test their children for drugs at home. Those tests are not reliable. They do not test for oxycodone (Percocet) or hyrdocodone (Lortab). Our children are taking prescription drugs to schools and passing them out like candy. Recently, two girls were tested, one with the over-the-counter tests and one from a lab. Both girls received the drugs together at the same time. The over-the-counter one came back negative for everything. The standard lab test showed morphine. The "oeopiates of abuse" panel came back with Dilaudid, a morphine derivative. Parents beware. Get the right drug test, or run the risk of missing the most commonly abused drugs. These are strong pain medications. These can put a 110-pound girl or boy in a coma. The kids in school have no idea of dosages or side affects of these drugs. It could be fatal. Parents, if you have a loved one with cancer and these drugs are around, please check them. Parents, if you have alcohol, check your cabinets. Schools teachers and officers can only do so much. We have to be like detectives and besides, it takes a village to keep up with our teens. Betty Trigueiro Lakewood Ranch - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake