General Signs of Use:
- Change in friends
- Declining grades
- Decrease in motivation, “No drive”
- Increased school disciplinary action
- Loss of interest in activities (Sports, music, hobbies)
- Missed school or work
- Selling/pawning, stealing, or missing valuables/cash
- Frequent use of mints/gum/candy/chips to mask breath
- Hiding substances (ie. Cars, wallets, hat rims, shoes)
- Hiding controlled substances in non-controlled
- Prescription bottles that look similar
- Avoidance of loved ones/secrecy/irrational excuses for absences
- Overly sensitive or defensive/detached
- Anxiety/Depression/Frequent mood swings
- Irritability
- Isolation (long periods in bathroom/shower, car or bedroom)
- Changing sleep hours
- Decline in physical self care
- Sudden onset or increased cigarette usage
- Increase in speeding or other tickets or minor accidents
- Change in style of clothing, particularly clothing depicting substance use messages -(iPath or Bob Marley clothing etc.)
Specific to IV Use (Heroin/Cocaine/Other):
- Wearing long sleeve shirts during warm weather (To cover “Track marks”)
- Napping or falling asleep at strange times (Heroin or opioids)
- Long periods in bathroom/shower
Specific to Distribution of Substances:
- Having large amounts of unexplained cash
- P.O. Boxes for mail
- New clothing without a job
- Packages arriving with discrete labeling