ARE YOUR KIDS BUYING DRUGS THROUGH
THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA APPS?
It’s summer time – and for many kids that means swimming and parties!
It’s summer time – and for many kids that means swimming and parties!
The social media apps that your kids use every day are making drugs as easy to buy as grabbing a burger at McDonalds.
Here’s how it works:
Photos of drugs are posted with captions that include hashtags, emojis, and instructions on how to contact the dealer through encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp or Kik. Dealers won’t communicate with anyone via direct message (DM), it’s too risky to get caught.
Kids can pay using services like Venmo, Bitcoin and some dealers will even take gift cards. After payment, the product will be shipped to them via USPS, UPS, and FedEx in an ordinary envelope or in a used Amazon box, to not raise any red flags, or they can coordinate an in person meet up and pay the dealer with cash. Most dealers would rather ship directly instead of taking a chance on the meeting being a setup with police officers.
Which social media sites are being used to buy and sell illegal drugs?
Instagram
Snapchat
Facebook
Twitter
Kik Messenger
WhatsApp
Wickr
Whisper
Most kids believe that since they are anonymous on the apps they use to buy the drugs that they won’t get caught. However, this is not true. Just because they are anonymous doesn’t mean that they aren’t traceable. They will get caught and will be charged for drug possession. Depending on where you live that can mean fines, community service, a drug charge on their permanent record, loss of a scholarship, etc.
What you can do:
Have an open discussion with your kids about the consequences of buying drugs online and ask them if they’ve ever seen drugs for sale on social media. (Unless you have read our book and have already been having candid conversations, don’t expect an honest answer here. You are just trying to have an open conversation.)
Explain to them what they should do if they see drugs for sale on social media. They should report the account or post and then tell you or another adult about the incident. You don’t want to be surprised if you get a visit from a police officer.
Make sure your kids know that buying drugs online – even anonymously – is NOT safe or a guaranteed way to avoid law enforcement. They will get caught and there will be consequences.
Monitor your kids on social media.