Ashley Duffy, 18, knew her parents wouldn't tap into her online journal so she wrote freely about her drug use. She says she used the Internet to contact her dealer and connect at parties with people who had drugs.
"Kids are really open about it. I see posts from other people describing a night on acid or whatever," says Duffy of West Chester, Pa., who underwent treatment and says she has been drug-free for 16 months. "I think they think their parents are clueless. And I guess they are."
A study being released today of more than 10 million online messages written by teens in the past year shows they regularly chat about drinking alcohol, smoking pot, partying and hooking up.
A candid article regarding the openly immoral culture that is springing up on the Internet for children and teens. A must read for any parent whose child has access to the Internet, whether monitored or not.
Kids often use code words they believe their parents won't understand, says Duffy, who was treated at Caron. "You can't use any words like pot and mary jane and weed because your parents will know that."
Lucky O'Donnell, 19, of New York, used to refer to cocaine as "yay" or "cocoa" and heroin as "skag" when he posted messages on friends' sites on MySpace.
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The study's analysis of alcohol messages found that teens mentioned hooking up and having sex while drunk, being drunk at parties, getting help for a friend who drinks too much and drinking until getting sick. The most popular drinks mentioned in the messages were beer and vodka.
In a sample message included with the study, one unnamed teen wrote: "I've had alcohol once or twice (once to the point of being drunk) and sex is waaaaay better."
In postings about marijuana, teens asked about possible addiction and whether it alleviated depression, the study shows. Teens also shared stories about cutting class, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and mutilating themselves while getting high.
Another message from an unnamed teen included in the study asked about marijuana: "Has anyone ever passed out from smoking weed? I was at the beach and I just collapsed and I don't remember that happening."
In posts about other drugs, teens sought or offered information on Ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD and heroin. They talked about experimentation with drugs and sought advice on taking drugs safely.
An unnamed teen in one post included in the study asked for information about DXM, a drug found in over-the-counter cough syrup:
"I tried DXM for the first time on Saturday (200mg) and it was interesting. Can I try it again … say tomorrow … or should I wait longer. I read somewhere you should give DXM at least a week until you try it again. Anyone know?"
It is also necessary to talk to your kids about these things. Kids need honest answers from their parents about what drugs, including cigarettes and alcohol, can do to you. Kids are seeking these answers from people who they think know the answers. If you don't know the answers, you'd better find out. If your kids are seeking the answers to these kinds of questions, don't you want to know? Don't you want to know what kind of answers they are getting and whether or not they believe it? Most will go on to try and find out for themselves.
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