Parents, students and community members learned the warning signs of drug and alcohol abuse last week at a Mountain View Police Department-sponsored awareness event.
MVPD Resource Officer Robert Taylor shared the signs and effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
The audience viewed slides showing what the typical drug looks like and how a user’s appearance can deteriorate.
“I couldn’t tell you how many parents didn’t know their kids were selling illegal drugs,” Taylor said. “These people come from all backgrounds.”
Taylor said the police department arrested several local students selling drugs last year, including students from Los Altos Hills.
Taylor listed signs of possible drug use:
• Negative changes in attitude or demeanor.
• New friends or peer group, which could be secretive in nature.
• Drop off or sudden change in grades or poor performance in school.
• Lack of motivation.
• Irritability and lack of sleep, or sleeping all day.
“Everyone is going to meet new friends and it isn’t usually an issue,” Taylor said. “But when it is secretive, it isn’t normal behavior.”
Taylor, who said marijuana today is much worse for the body than it was a few decades ago, added that the drug can cause students to care less about everything.
“What marijuana does is suck the life out of the people who are using it,” he said. “They have no desire to do anything.”
Taylor also advised on how to intervene in a student’s life if drug or alcohol abuse is suspected:
• Penetrate his or her world and get involved in his or her life.
• Communicate and spend time with the student.
• Know who his or her friends are and what they are doing.
• Stay in contact with the school and get to know counselors and school administrators.
• Monitor text messages, Facebook and electronic media entries.
Taylor said keeping track of students’ electronic communication, is paramount.
“This is how they communicate in their world,” he said. “If you really want to know what is going on in your child’s life, Facebook is key. You have to be ‘friends’ with them, and cross-check in case they are blocking you from their content.”
Taylor said monitoring texts is an important way to discover whether students are abusing drugs or alcohol.
“I’m not saying every child is sending bad texts, but it is good to let them know that you are monitoring,” he said.
Taylor concluded his presentation with information on outside resources through which parents and students can seek help. He said Mountain View Police Department representatives are in most of the schools, and Partners for New Generations provides mentors who help students through their high school years.
Representatives from the Children’s Health Awareness Council were available for audience members who had questions or were seeking a low-cost counseling service.
“If you have any issues, call me,” Taylor said. “I’ll do my best to help you in any way I can.”
For more information, call Taylor at 903-6387.
