Tuesday Tip - Weed, Dope, Drugs, Alcohol?

Just like towns all over, don't be naive and think that marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, and other assorted drugs of choice are not used and abused in our town. The only things that change are the players and locations. You may not see drugs openly sold on a street corner or have an abundance of known dope houses to choose from, but they do exist. Specific drugs and their use ebb and flow over time. Rolling meth labs, LSD tabs were popular for a while and now ecstasy along with the old staple, marijuana, with young folks. And, don't forget prescription drug and alcohol abuse.

What can we do about it? Start at home with family and friends. Watch for signs of drug use and help with intervention. Be a good parent! Check with your kids, talk with your kids, know your kids. Here are two websites with additional information on teen drug use, tips for prevention and detection:

• Parents the Anti-Drug


• Drugfree.org

What about your neighborhood? What if you suspect drug activity near your home? Get to know your neighbors! You don't have to be best friends, but do know who belongs and who doesn't. What cars do they drive? What kind of hours do they keep? If comfortable, exchange emergency contact information with each other.

Excessive activity at a home? Different people or vehicles coming and going? This could be during certain times or throughout the day or night. Track activity at a suspected location with good notes. Write down license plate numbers and descriptions of persons if you can. Note dates and times of the activity. Where does the activity take place? Are the persons entering the home through the front door or are they walking through a side gate? Where does it look like transactions are taking place?

If you see what you believe to be a crime in progress, call the police immediately. If you simply suspect that someone is selling drugs or that a home is being used for drug sales, there are a few ways to get that information to the police. You can call and ask to speak with a narcotics detective or provide the information to a desk officer or other personnel to pass on for further investigation. There are sources on the web, like We-Tip or Crime Stoppers, that accept anonymous tip information. Just don't ignore the problem. Help keep our neighborhoods safe and drug-free.