Like a fever to a cold, addiction leaves tell-tale signs

• A sudden drop in school grades and attendance or an increase in school discipline problems.
• A loss of interest in activities or sports.
• Associating with questionable or unknown “friends”. There should NEVER be an associate of your child you haven’t met or screened.
• Isolating at home by barricading in the bedroom or being generally uncommunicative. Maintain mandatory family activities.
• Angry, argumentative, surly to family members, often without provocation or reason. Do not accept that.
• Missing property from the home. If it continues, report it to the Police.

As intimidating as it sounds, involving the Police is often the start of the end of the problem. If an arrest occurs, the Court can assist in setting and enforcing behavior standards as well as treatment options.

If you all live in the same house, declare that house to be drug and alcohol free for everyone. Set and enforce a curfew. If doubting sobriety, institute random drug and alcohol testing.

Sound intimidating? Sound like too much hassle? Then, while you think of your child’s smiling face, think of this:

If it gets ahold of your loved one, the chances are it will be a Death Grip!

I send this message not only as a warning, but also as a plea: Please be on guard! This enemy is as close as the freckle-faced kid next door, the cute girl met at a party or the doctor who puts Heroin’s blood brother, Oxycodone/OxyContin, in your medicine cabinet.