There are many signs of drug abuse. Although many other factors can cause many signs and symptoms of possible drug use, alert parents and educators should be aware that these signs of drug use and drug abuse are typical of substance abusers. Most substance abusers exhibit several of the below signs frequently. Parents and educators should use common sense, their knowledge of the child, and open communication to help determine if there might be a drug problem that requries intervention. Use these signs of possible drug abuse as a guide to determine if investigation and action to prevent drug abuse is warranted.

50 SIGNS OF DRUG ABUSE

Drop in school grades
Truancy, late for school
Missed work, late for work
Sudden change in friends
Sudden interest in drug culture (i.e. drug related posters, music or magazines)
Evidence of drugs or drug paraphernalia (i.e., needles, pipes, rolling papers)
Lying
Stealing
Lack of interest in personal appearance
Having more or less money than usual
Marked change in sleeping patterns (getting more or less sleep)
Rapid Loss of weight, unusual appetite
Loss of interest in family activities
Hostile or argumentative attitude
Refusal or hostility when asked to talk about possible drug and alcohol use
Stolen or missing household property
Excessive, unusual mileage on vehicle
Memory loss
Fake ID (false driver's license indicating legal drinking age)
Smell of alcohol on their breath
Neglected personal hygiene
Poor self image
Violent outbursts at home
Frequent use of Eye Wash
Slurred speech or very rapid speech patterns
Curfew violations
Running away
Unexplained Skin abrasions
Hostility towards family members
Chemical breath
Glassy eyes
Bloodshot eyes
Possessing unexplained valuables
Borrowing money frequently
Heightened secrecy about actions and possessions
Claims of privacy violations
Depression Symptoms
Withdrawal Symptoms
Apathetic Attitude
Reckless Behavior
No Concern about future
Disrespectful to parents and values
Sneaky behavior
Disregards Consequences
Loss of Interest in healthy activities
Verbally abusive to others
Manipulative behavior
Self-Centered, selfish behaviors
Unexplained medical symptoms
Trouble handling responsibilities

The Most Common Signs That Your Child is Using Drugs
When children start using drugs they usually exhibit many different signs which
parents need to watch out for. Unfortunately, many parents often write-off these signs
as normal adolescent behavior and as a result they don't realize that their child is into
drugs until it is too late. So how can you as a parent know for sure whether or not your
child is in danger of falling into drugs? Simple ... by understanding that every child is in
danger of this. The parent who says "not my kid" is the same parent who will miss all
the signs that their child has started experimenting with drugs. Often they will stay in
this state of denial till their son and daughter is arrested or overdoses -- and by then it
is too late. So what should you as parents be looking for as signs that your child is
experimenting with drugs or alcohol.

Dramatic changes in style of clothes, hair, music
These outward signs of rebellion should be obvious to a parent. Has your child
started listening to radically-different music such as heavy metal or punk rock?
Is your kid coloring their hair some weird color just to fit in? Is your child
dressing down to fit in with friends at school? All of these are outward signs that
your child is succumbing to peer pressure and all these should serve as
warning signs to you that your child is in danger of falling into the same kind of
peer pressure when it comes to drugs.

Hanging out with a bad crowd
Your child might try and tell you that his/her friends are cool kids. But you need to
take a close look at the kinds of kids your child is hanging out with. Chances are
the way these friends behave is the way your child behaves when you're not
around. Do some of your child's friends smoke cigarettes? If so, odds are your
child is smoking too. Your child's friends are like a mirror for your son or
daughter -- they look at themselves in that mirror and try to conform to what they
see there. One of the best ways to get a good idea of what your child is like is to
look at there closest friends.

Tardiness and/or truancies
You need to stay in touch with your child's school. Never assume that his/her
school will be in touch with you if there is a problem. If your child is getting into
drugs, odds are he/she will start ditching class from time to time. Kids who do
this tend to take off during the middle of school and get stoned somewhere near
the campus. Don't assume that there school will let you know about this kind of
behavior. And you need to realize, kids are great at covering this kind of behavior
up. Every kid knows how to forge their parent's signature -- no joke. Call your
child's school from time to time and ask about your child attendance record. You
need to take the initiative here!

Lack of motivation in school
Does you child simply seem not to care about how he/she does in school? Does
your child seem to put very little effort into homework assignments? Does your
child even come home from school to do his/her homework or is he/she just
hanging out somewhere? Your child should show a healthy interest in school. If
your child isn't, you need to be on the lookout for drugs! One of the first thing that
goes when your child is experimenting with drugs is will be your child's interest
in school.

Isolating from family
Does your child act distant? When you ask your child what he/she has been up
to, does your child give some vague reply? Does you child want to eat in their
room all the time instead of with the family? Children are smart - they know that
the easiest lie to tell is the one they can avoid having to tell. If you child doesn't
tell you what he/she has been up to, there's a good chance your child is hiding
something.

Changes in attitude and personality
Does it seem like your child is suddenly a completely different person with a new
personality which you don't like one bit? Has your child suddenly developed a
tough guy/girl attitude? If your child is experimenting with drugs, there's a good
chance you'll be seeing these kinds of attitude changes. Often parents just see
this as normal teenage behavior and write it off. Don't make this mistake . . .
otherwise you might overlook one of the most obvious signs of your child's drug
problem.

Changes in sleep patterns
These kinds of changes should be fairly obvious. Does your child stay up late (or
even all night) frequently, refusing to get up in the morning at a decent time.
Does your child sleep way too much or way too little. If your child isn't sleeping
much, there's a good chance he/she is using . This is a frequent effect of this
kind of stimulant.

Excessive use of foul or obscene language
Has your child suddenly developed a filthy mouth? This might indicate that your
child is giving into peer pressure from their friends and should be a warning
sign to you. If your child is trying to fit in with their friends by cussing, sooner or
later your child will probably look for other ways to gain acceptance in his/her
peer group. One of these ways is often drugs.

Eating way too much or way too little
Here's another obvious sign of drug experimentation that is often overlooked as
normal teenage behavior. Does your child come home in the afternoon after
hanging out with friends and devour everything in the refrigerator? If your child is
smoking pot with his/her friends, it wouldn't be unusual for your child to eat kind
a bit more food than normal. Does your child skip quite a few consecutive meals,
then speed use is a possibility.

Paranoia - everyone is out to get me
Does your son or daughter treat everybody as if they were the enemy? Do they
tend to express the idea that everybody is out to get them? Do they seem overly
paranoid to you? This is not normal teenage behavior; you need to understand
that. This is one of the most common signs of drug abuse. It's one of those signs
you don't have to look hard to see.

Dilated eyes - red eyes - glazed eyes
Do your son's or daughter's eyes look funny? Are the pupils real large or real
small? Does your child wear sunglasses even at night and try and say their just
trying to look cool? A person's eyes show the effects of the drugs their on. If you
think your child is experimenting with drugs, watch his or her eyes. Are they red
all the time? Glazed? If so, there's a real good chance your child is using drugs.

Sudden bursts of anger
Has your child developed a violent side? Is he or she prone to sudden,
uncontrollable fits of anger? This doesn't have to mean physically violent (though
that is often the case) but can also be a teen who is always yelling or threatening
people. Any of these things should be a warning sign to you that your child could
be experimenting with drugs.

Lies!
Lying is a common way someone tries to hide drug use. If your child is experimenting with drugs, he/she will be telling lots of lies to
cover this up. Teens tend to be either very good at covering things up. If you start
wondering whether or not your child is telling you the truth there is a good
chance that your instincts are right and they are being decietful. Try not to take it personally and be persistent and learn what it is that they are trying to cover up. Drugs are an all-to-real possibility.

Dramatic mood swings
Does your child seems real happy one day, then terribly depressed the next day?
Do your child's emotions go up and down constantly? This is often confused with
'normal' teenage behavior, but it can also be an obvious sign of drug abuse.
Don't simply write it off.

Excessive money spending or money disappearing
Drugs cost money. If your child keeps coming to you needing money, or if money
keeps coming up missing from your purse or your wallet, you need to have a
serious talk with your child. Especially if they always seem to need 20 dollars or
50 dollars -- round amounts -- since that is often the price drugs cost.

Talking too slow or too fast
If your child is smoking marijuana, he/she will probably speak to you very slowly
when they talk to you (when they are using) since pot tends to put a child in a
stupor. If your child is using stimulants such as speed, they will speak very fast
and act very hyper. Look for changes in his/her pattern of speech. If one day
he/she speaks normal and the next afternoon he/she is running a million miles
per hour, drugs are a real possibility.