DETROIT – Nonprofit organization, The Youth Connection, has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to make parents aware of how easy it is for teens to store drugs in plain sight.
“It made me feel like I need to pay attention more and thoroughly go through and then have conversations with my son,” said parent Danielle Stevens.
Read: DEA issues warning against fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and meth
Stevens, a mother of a teenage son, said she’ll never underestimate what her son could be stashing right under her nose. She was able to find about six of the hidden mock drugs.
“I’d be mad at myself if that was actually happening in my kid’s room and I missed it that easily,” said parent Jessica Rademacher.
At the end of the day, Brian McNeal with the DEA said it’s part of a bigger picture -- The risk of some prescription pills also not being what they seemed.
“These pills are deadly. We’re finding if we seize 100 counterfeit pills, 42 of those pills are going to contain a lethal dosage of fentanyl,” McNeal said.
Dr. Grenae Dudley with The Youth Connection said if you do end up finding the drugs in the house, it’s best to protect and not to punish.
“We want you not to blame them, not to put them down, but to talk to them. Get the resources for them. Get them help if they need it,” Dudley said.
Oct. 23 is DEA Drug Take Back Day, which you can help rid your home of any old and unwanted prescription. You can drop them off at any police precinct and even The Youth Connection as well.