Can this be drug use?

FlowerGarden

Active Member
I remember reading a post awhile ago where someone asked if pens being taken apart had to do with drug use. I've found pens being taken apart in difficult child's room. I haven't found any drugs so far but we've had some money taken. He denies that he was the one who took the money but he's the only one home besides husband & I.
 

Sue G

New Member
Sometimes they use the pens like a straw, to snort something. been there done that with disassembled pens and missing money at the same time.
 

KFld

New Member
When my difficult child was living home and using heroin, which he snorted, I could not keep pens in my house. I would buy a bag of them and two days later I'd go to find one and they would be gone. I would find them in his room, usually cut in half. I'm not saying he's using heroin, it could be something else, it's just what mine was using it for. That and the missing money tells me something is going on. Look for little tiny wax paper baggies, or folded paper. Cocaine comes in folded paper and heroin comes in little wax baggies. I never actually found the drugs, but would find the baggies when he got very careless towards the end.
 

saving grace

New Member
Yes... I found many a pen taken apart in difficult child's room, They do use it as a straw but they also use it somehow when ccoking heroin, I dont know exaclty how but some of the pens we found were burnt or melted on the end.

Also look for tin foil, little pieces or pieces balled up. difficult child would also always have the cellophane off of a pack of cigarettes in his room, they use that as well to store pills, pot, or whatever.

Grace
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
I'm so sorry that during a board crash we lost some really good archives.

There is sooooooooooo much info in our archives.

Suz
 

saving grace

New Member
I just asked difficult child what the pens could be used for and he said, freebasing which is smoking meth, as a straw for snorting he said if they are used for straws then they are usually cut in half to be smaller. Straws are used for coke or heroin, thats all he told me, I think he got uncomfortable having the conversation with me when he saw the look on my face LOL.

Grace
 
O

OTE

Guest
Mine never did meth, crack or heroin. But I would find pen shells every where. My understanding is that he would use them to make home made bongs for pot.
 

TYLERFAN

New Member
Yep....found the same thing in my difficult child's room a few times. She's a cocaine addict. The missing money to me is a big red flag.
So sorry you are having to deal with this.

Blessings,
Melissa
 

FlowerGarden

Active Member
Thanks for the education. I went through his room and didn't find anything else. I took drawers out, went through containers, etc. What next? Do I keep looking every day? He's been drug tested twice at the emergency room and both were negative but sounds like there are ways to get around it. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

gottaloveem

Active Member
Yes the pens and missing money are major red flags.

My son was drug tested when he went to juvy and it showed only pot. Later, he said to me that he didn't know how only pot showed up.

Keep on him and keep checking his room. I never found much in alex's room cause he knew I was looking. I did find pen bottoms though.

I don't think he would steal money to buy pot. Missing money is a red flag for heavy drug use.

Keep us posted, we can help.

Good luck.
 

KFld

New Member
I would check constantly because they get a little careless as time goes on. there are ways to get around drug tests, mine did it. I know for instance heroin only stays in the system around 3 days, so if he's using something like that, but not daily, yet, then maybe his testing just happened to be at the right time when things weren't in his system.
Just keep your eyes and ears open and watch for different signs. It could be that he's onto the fact that you may be suspiscious and he's being more careful, or maybe you are wrong and the pens are for something else. Either way, don't let your guard down too soon.
I pray for you and him that it is nothing, because I wouldn't wish the nightmare of dealing with drug addiction on my worst enemy.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
If drugs are involved you should be seeing other changes too
that indicate the problem. Personality changes. Change in daily habits. Change in friends. Change in school work.
Very, very often a change in sleep patterns.

Over time there will be obvious indicators, if you pay attention. As always, I am hoping your family will be saved
from all this trauma! DDD
 

roberta52

New Member
Meth also leaves the system very fast. I agree with other posters: be suspicious and nosy and don't fall back into thinking it probably isn't drug use. As parents (and in my case, grandparents) it's so much easier to think we were mistaken about the missing money, strange items in the room, etc. But in the long run it isn't easier.

Roberta
 

Suz

(the future) MRS. GERE
Don't forget to up-end his mattress and box springs. Rob cut a slit in the underside of both and stuck stuff up there. It is an absolute miracle that he didn't set the house on fire during those months.

And don't just search his room. Expand your search. We found stuff that Rob had stashed in various places around our property, in the garage, attic, etc.

Suz
 
O

OTE

Guest
If this is the first time these kinds of things are happening I'd say he's experimenting. So he could be trying a lot of different drugs. I'd ask other parents, his sibs, whoever might know who he is hanging around with and what that other kid is doing.

You need to educate yourself. There are Federal websites that are good in sub abuse 101. samhsa.com comes to mind. You need to learn what to look for. You are likely to find there were a lot of signs you missed because you just didn't know. Aerosol cans missing?

Part of that education is understanding drug screens. It's not one magical little stick that turns blue for boy. The person ordering the test selects which substances they want to test for. So if yours is using something out of the ordinary...eg mine has used Triple C. The test for Triple C costs hundreds of dollars so they don't do it very often at all. Pot tests are not just yes or no, it's a level of pot in the system. They may say he was negative when in fact it was a very low level because he hadn't smoked in 3 weeks.

Honestly, I had no idea when I started how much I had to learn, and I barely skim the surface at this point now.
 
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