Drug dealers have turned to the internet and social media apps like Snap Chat to find customers during the pandemic, causing youth drug deaths to soar.

Years ago when a teenager wanted to score drugs they didn’t have to look far. They could get them from friends (negative peer group), classmates in school, at parties or even from our home medicine cabinet. Fast forward today and you’ll find young people are now getting drugs online.

Social media is almost exclusively how teens and young adults are getting illicit pills now, and about 90% of these pills contain fentanyl. And with features like encryption and disappearing messages on the most popular apps, their use for selling drugs keeps growing.

Worrying facts and statistics

Researchers from Columbia University spent five years searching the Internet for websites that advertise and sell prescription drugs. They found 365. Eighty-five percent of them did not require a doctor’s prescription or proof of age, even though people were buying powerful narcotics. (CRC Health)

Psychology Today reported that kids as young as sixth graders were ordering drugs online.

And here are some recent cases of tragedies linked to use of drugs bought online:

• Two Utah 8th graders overdosed and died after taking U-47700, a potent synthetic opioid also known as “pink,” they got from other teens who bought it online.
• A Minnesota teen overdosed and died after taking the synthetic psychedelic drug DPT (dipropyltryptamine) he bought online.
• The 16-year old son of famous television therapist Dr. Laura Berman died after overdosing on fentanyl. Berman believes her son bought the drug from a dealer on Snapchat.

According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) one of the top reasons young people turn to drug use is to fit in with their peers. It may start by only smoking marijuana or they feel like they need to drink to have a good time with others at a party — but this peer pressure can have a major impact on their actions.  This is crucial to understand because it’s where you can start with your prevention, by preparing your teen to handle peer pressure in a healthy manner.

Signs Your Teen Could Be Buying Drugs Online:

Is your teen acting unreasonably anxious or aggressive when you try to monitor their social media use, search their history, or receive their packages? If your teen is acting suspicious regarding his or her online behaviors, there are additional signs to watch for that may indicate your teen is buying drugs online.

Here are more red flags to be aware of:

• Spending an increased amount of time online or on their phone in privacy
• Lying about the time spent online or on their phone
• Creating multiple accounts on the same platform, making secret accounts, or making accounts under an alias
• Increased spending habits
• Using encrypted messaging apps that are password locked like Signal or Telegram
• Receiving mysterious packages at strange hours
• Hiding or deleting browsing history
• Other signs of drug use like mood swings and behavior changes

Quick Tips to Keep Youth Safe Online

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the face of our country in many ways, particularly in the field of substance abuse treatment. Drug use soared nationwide when social distancing measures crippled a network built on connection and face-to-face interactions.

The recovery community went virtual in response, turning to internet platforms that allow people to stay connected even when they can’t be in the same room. But while this shift proved advantageous for helping people recover from addiction, the power of the internet is accessible to everyone, including drug dealers.

5 Tips to Keep Your Teen Safe From Online Drug Dealers

1. Manage your child’s expectation of privacy.

During adolescence, kids can become more private and tend not to disclose everything to their parents. While this is a normal part of growing up, certain dangers can go undetected. It is crucial to have oversite to protect young adults, especially when it comes to online activity.

If you suspect drug use, look through their browser or Google searches (on their computer or cell phones). Keep an eye out for any “How to buy ____ online” -type searches. Bring up anything that causes strong suspicion. This may be an uncomfortable conversation and you may also be accused of spying (which you are technically doing).  But be sure to let him or her know that you are worried and only want to keep them safe. Make sure you point out recent cases in the news about young people overdosing on drugs. I have to remind you that safety trumps privacy. This is about your child’s welfare. This shouldn’t be used because you are simply snooping for no reason – you are risking losing your child’s trust.

Using parental control features can help you block inappropriate content or influencers. It may also be time to install an outside service for parental controls.

2. Learn the emoji codes for drugs.

When monitoring online activity, it is important to fully understand what you are looking at. The online drug market has become such a problem that it has prompted the DEA to research the subject of emojis and their use in illicit drug transactions.

They have since published a sort of decoder which explains the use of certain emojis in the drug trade. The more educated you are, the better chance you have at spotting possible risks. For example, heroin may symbolize a brown heart or a dragon emoji.

3. Learn to spot dark web activity.

While many of us have heard of the dark web through movies or TV, very few visit it or know how to get there. Unfortunately for parents, with a simple Google search, someone can learn how to access and navigate the dark web.

While not all activity on the dark web is nefarious, it is no place for teens and young adults to visit. Some sites sell many things that could be harmful to your child, including illicit drugs. It may be difficult for those who do not know much about the dark web to know if someone is using it.

Here are some tips to help:

• Search the devices your child has access to TOR software. TOR stands for “The Onion Router” and is the main browser used to access the dark web.
• Monitor your child’s devices for any activity involving digital currency or crypto. Assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are popular payment methods on the dark web. Interest in crypto could signify that your child is accessing the dark web.
• Pay attention to the mail:
  • If your loved one is receiving packages that they will not open in front of you, it could be something bought online they don’t want you to see.
  • Furthermore, if they seem anxious or have a lot of attention on checking the mail, they may be trying to intercept a package without you seeing that something has arrived.

4. Understand there may be no signs of addiction.

This may seem counterintuitive and concerning, but we’ve entered a new age of drug abuse. We can no longer rely on old adages and our historical understanding of addiction. Today, teens are dying the first or second time they use drugs.

They may not even have time to become addicted or dependent before ingesting a fake pill containing fentanyl. There may be no signs pointing towards drug abuse like slipping grades, isolation, or other classic behaviors. It’s essential to realize that users usually do not know they’re consuming a fentanyl-laced pill. The chart below will put things in perspective.

Fentanyl laced pills are flooding the streets.

5. Don’t wait for “rock bottom.”

As explained above, addiction isn’t necessary anymore for drug deaths to be commonplace. So, if you discover that a loved one is buying or consuming illicit substances, you should intervene. Waiting for them to become addicted and experience negative consequences before deciding to seek help is ill-advised and should be avoided in today’s epidemic. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Review the recent trends:

-Fatal overdose among adolescents raised 94% from 2019 to 2020.
-There was an additional 20% raise from 2020 to 2021.
-77% of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
-Fentanyl pills seized by law enforcement increased by 3,233% from 2018 to 2021.

If it is discovered that your child is heavily using drugs or alcohol, then a long-term drug rehab program is always recommended to get them the help they need. However, it’s possible that even though your loved one is making poor decisions, they may not be suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Despite no “addiction” yet, they’ve demonstrated a need for change.

Treatment for someone who hasn’t developed a physical dependence may be a much faster process and can often be done on an outpatient basis. The idea is to help the person learn to make better decisions for themselves. Competent treatment programs will help the patient address whatever they were aiming to mask or avoid with substances.

Also read:

5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Purpose of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

What Causes of Teenage Mental Health Issues?

Goals of Behavior Modification Programs for Teens.

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Do you suspect your teen is doing drugs? Have you exhausted your local resources? Learn more about the benefits of residential treatment for struggling teens. Contact us for a free consultation. 

Contributor(reprinted with permission by)/Author: Marcel Gemme