I think kids now, they re smarter, Freeze said. We re going to have to find other means to detect it. Pills are easier to conceal and harder to identify when found. Fortunately, counselors say, they re far less prevalent than tobacco, alcohol and marijuana. A lot of these new drugs are slipping by because they re just pills.
Some illegal drugs come from legal materials, including glue, nail polish and hair spray.
One such experimental drug, GHB, is a mild sedative made from paint thinner. A problem of a different sort that teachers and administrators find particularly in middle schools and even upper elementary school grades is psuedo drugs. Children crush something as innocuous as aspirin or sheetrock and pretend it s cocaine just to appeal to friends. Parsley from the kitchen cabinet or even dried lawn grass can pass as marijuana to those who don t know the true drug s smell or appearance. In high school, on the other hand, students who brag about using drugs usually are, Peck-Harris said.