Talking regularly with kids about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using.

KNOW! To Shatter the Myths of Drug Abuse

When it comes to drugs and drug abuse, youth receive an abundance of misinformation from television, the internet, movies, music and peers. That’s why January 27th through February 2nd is being honored as National Drug Facts Week; a health observance for teens that aims to shatter the myths and share the truth about drugs and what they can do to one’s brain, body and behavior.

Take “Molly” for example, a drug that is all the rage among party-going teens. Molly gained much of its popularity from songs by various music artists including Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Kanye West - to name a few. For most parents, hearing a song about “Molly” would not signal a red flag. But the fact is, it should.

The word on the street is that Molly is a kinder, safer way to get high, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

So who exactly is this Molly character and what is she capable of?

• Molly is the powder or crystal form of MDMA, which is the chemical also used in Ecstasy, that produces a high.
• Molly comes in tablets, capsules or colorful pills (which sometimes have cartoon-like images on them) and typically sells for between $20 to $50 a dose.Molly is a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted use in medical treatment.
• Many people believe Molly to be the pure form of Ecstasy, but in truth, this drug tends to get mixed with a variety of other components, from talcum powder to Heroin. What is truly being ingested by the user is dangerously unknown.
• Molly is typically taken for the euphoric high and feelings of extreme alertness it can produce. But, many people don’t realize that some users will instead experience feelings of sadness, anxiety and depression from the drug (and this can last up to a week or longer for regular users).
• Other side effects of Molly include muscle cramping, nausea, blurred vision, increased heart rate and blood pressure, and in some cases, seizures, hyperthermia and even death.

You are encouraged to use the observance of National Drug Facts Week as yet another opportunity to increase your knowledge and talk with your children about the dangers of drugs and drug abuse. For more information about underage substancew abuse prevention visit www.ChathamDrugFree.org

Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), The Partnership at Drugfree.org, USA Today: Old Drug Making a Comeback as Molly, January 2014.

Know is a program of Drug Free Action Alliance