The Drug Dealer Hiding in Plain Sight

How would parents react if they learned that a drug dealer was hiding in their home, trying to entice their adolescent child to try drugs? And what would parents think if they learned that the drug dealer rode the school bus with their child? (Never mind that another drug dealer is in the school yard.)

This scenario would sound unbelievable to families who lock their doors and have their cameras on 24/7. But the drug dealers we are referring to can get past locked doors and into homes, without turning a doorknob or opening a window.

These dealers sell drugs to adolescents online through social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. And parents have no idea that a deal is going down in their own home.

Online Drug Ads

There is a typical pattern to how drugs are introduced to adolescents online. An adolescent might become curious about a drug ad on social media and click on the ad or initiate their own search about drugs. Either action can lead to a drug dealer’s account which has posts and stories that make drug use look fun and appealing. This initial activity prompts algorithms to show more posts about drugs even if drugs aren’t purchased during the initial search.

If a dealer uses Snapchat conveniently for the dealer, the message will disappear after it’s viewed. Drug ads are usually placed on a visible app, but once a conversation is started, the dealer will switch to an encrypted app. Sometimes dealers get caught and their account is shut down. But the dealer can promptly set up another account.

Once payment is made, drugs are delivered in the mail or dropped off at the house (sometimes with remarkable speed). Also, a meet-up may be arranged between the dealer and buyer, which can put the adolescent in the scary position of meeting some potentially dangerous people.

Here is the usual sequence used to sell and receive drugs online:

1. An adolescent meets up with a drug dealer online, either by clicking on an ad or doing a search about drugs.

2. Contact with the dealer is made through direct messaging.

3. At some point, the communication is taken to an encrypted platform, like WhatsApp.

4. Payment is made through an app like Zelle or Venmo.

5. The drug is delivered to the home (if local) or sent through the mail. Sometimes, the customer picks it up at a designated location.

Behind the Emoji

Drug dealers use a communication system that adolescents understand - emojis.

Below are some emojis listed on the DEA website that are used to communicate between drug dealers and buyers.

The message below could mean that a dealer can hook a buyer up with Xanax and have it delivered.

Most parents don’t speak in “emoji”. Rather than learn this communication system, they would prefer to put a parental protection app on their adolescent’s phone. Unfortunately, even if phones have parental protection, a drug deal transacted through emojis might not be detected. The phone protection system is not set up for it.

The Missing Drug Emoji

There is one emoji that is unlikely to be on a dealer’s drug ad – the emoji of death. Yet sadly, that is a place where these drug ads can lead.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that since 2020, there was a greater relative overdose rate in adolescents than the overall population.

In 2021, 77% of the teen overdose deaths were fentanyl related.

The Online Fentanyl Dealer

An adolescent might place an online order for fentanyl outright.

However, they can also receive and take fentanyl unknowingly when it is used as a filler for a counterfeit drug.

Drug cartels often add fentanyl to drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines. It is cheaper, easy to produce and increases potency.

“42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose.”

According to the DEA, “42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of fentanyl, considered a potentially lethal dose.”

Disastrous Exposure – Red Light on a Police Car

A red light on a police car emoji means emergency – something many parents are facing if they don’t get smart about smart phones.

A U.S. Surgeons Advisory reports that 95 % of adolescents ages 13-17 use social media platforms. That is approximately 37 million youth.

Furthermore, more than a third of these youth admit to using social media almost constantly.

One doesn’t have to be a mathematician to know that this is a recipe for disaster on several fronts, especially with drug dealing.

Keeping Drug Dealers Out of the Home

Parents cannot rely on social media companies to remove drug ads and stories of drug glamor. Even on the occasion when law enforcement or a platform takes down a dealer’s drug ads, the dealer will put up another one. The large, captive and naive audience makes the selling of dope a breeze. Business is good, and dealers aren’t going to walk away because of a slight inconvenience.

Some products are available for parental control of content on their children’s devices. These might work for some families, but there is still the risk of drug emoji messaging making it through the filters.

Education and Communication

Parents can learn emoji simply by searching the internet. The DEA website is a good place to start. There is also a plethora of websites devoted to educating parents on what their children are being exposed to online.

Knowing the dangers and side effects of the more popular drugs is also important. This information is readily available on the internet. Narconon also has some good informational pieces that are available for the asking.

Once a parent is armed with the information, a talk with their children about the danger of drugs is in order. Many kids will likely be surprised to learn that their parents know emoji talk.

Communication might be a novel idea in a world where children and parents alike spend a great deal of their time on their phones, even while in the same room. But that’s the crux of the problem – too much screen time and insufficient communication leading to too little parental control. It’s a scenario that drug dealers and other nefarious actors take advantage of, unless stopped.

Engaging, heartfelt and honest communication can go a long way with adolescents. They don’t get enough of it.

Frequent family discussions can lead to healthier, safer, drug free and more productive families.