PLEASE READ AND BE AWARE.
DUSTING : IMPORTANT FOR ALL PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS TO KNOW: PASS IT ON
"D U S T I N G"
First, I'm going to tell you a little about me and my family. My name is Jeff. I am a Police Officer for a city which is known nationwide for itscrime rate. We have a lot of gangs and drugs. At one point we were #2 in the nation in homicides per capita. I also have a police K-9 namedThor. He was certified in drugs and general duty. He retired at 3 yearsold because he was shot in the line of duty. He lives with us now and I still train with him because he likes it. I always liked the fact that
there was no way to bring drugs into my house. Thor wouldn't allow it.He would tell on you. The reason I say this is so you understand that I know about drugs.
I have taught in schools about drugs. My wife asks all our kids at least once a week if they used any drugs. Makes them promise they won't. I like building computers occasionally and started building a new one in February 2005. I also was working on some of my older computers. They were full of dust so on one of my trips to the computer store I bought a
3 pack of DUST OFF. Dust Off is a can of compressed air to blow dust off a computer.
A few weeks later when I went to use one of them they were all used. I talked to my kids and my two sons both said they had used them on their computer and messing around with them. I yelled at them for wasting the 10 dollars I paid for them. On February 28 I went back to the computer store. They didn't have the 3 pack which I had bought on sale so I bought a single jumbo can of Dust Off. I went home and set it down beside my computer. On March 1st, I left for work at 10 PM. Just before midnight my wife
went down and kissed Kyle goodnight. At 5:30 am the next morning Kathy went downstairs to wake Kyle up for school, before she left for work. He was propped up in bed with his legs crossed and his head leaning over.She called to him a few times to get up. He didn't move. He would
sometimes tease her like this and pretend he fell back asleep. He was never easy to get up. She went in and shook his arm. He fell over. He was pale white and had the straw from the Dust Off can coming out of his mouth. He had the new can of Dust Off in his hands. Kyle was dead. I am a police officer and I had never heard of this. My wife is a nurse and she had never heard of this. We later found out from the coroner, after the autopsy, that only the propellant from the can of Dust off was in his system. No other drugs. Kyle had died between midnight and 1 AM. I found out that using Dust Off is being done mostly by kids ages 9 through 15. They even have a name for it. It's called dusting. A take off from the Dust Off name. It gives them a slight high for about 10 seconds. It makes them dizzy. A boy who lives down the street from us showed Kyle how to do this about a month before. Kyle showed his best friend. Told him it was cool and it couldn't hurt you. It's jus compressed air. It can't hurt you. His best friend said no. Kyle was wrong. It's not just compressed air. It also contains a propellant called R2. It's a refrigerant like what is used in your refrigerator. It is a heavy gas, heavier than air. When you inhale it, it fills your lungs and keeps the good air, with oxygen, out that's why you feel dizzy, buzzed. It decreases the oxygen to your brain, to your heart. Kyle was right. It can't hurt you. IT KILLS YOU! The horrible part about this is there is no warning. There is no level
that kills you. It's not cumulative or an overdose; it can just go
randomly, terribly wrong. Roll the dice and if your number comes up you die. IT'S NOT AN OVERDOSE. It's Russian Roulette. You don't die later. Or not feel good and say I've ha d too much. You usually die as you're breathing it in, if not you die within 2 seconds of finishing "the hit." That's why the straw was still in Kyle's mouth when he died. Why his eyes were still open. The experts want to call this huffing. The kids don't believe its huffing. As adults we tend to lump many things together. But it doesn't fit here. And that's why it's more accepted.
There is no chemical reaction, no strong odor. It doesn't follow the huffing signals. Kyle complained a few days before he died of his tongue hurting. It probably did. The propellant causes frostbite. If I had only known.
It's easy to say hey, it's my life and I'll do what I want. But it
isn't. Others are always affected. This has forever changed our family's life. I have a hole in my heart and soul that can never be fixed. The pain is so immense I can't describe it. There's nowhere to run from it.
I cry all the time and I don't ever cry. I do what t I'm supposed to do but I don't really care. My kids are messed up. One won't talk aboutit. The other will only sleep in our room at night. And my wife, I can't even describe how bad she is taking this. I thought we were safe because of Thor. I thought we were safe because we knew about drugs and talked to our kids about them.
After Kyle died another story came out. A probation Officer went to the school system next to ours to speak with a student. While there he found a student using Dust Off in the bathroom. This student told him about another student who also had some in his locker. This is a rather affluent school system. They will tell you they don't have a drug problem there.
They don't even! have a dare or plus program there. So rather than tell everyone about this "new" way of getting high they found, they hid it.
The probation officer told the media after Kyle's death and they, the school, then admitted to it. I know o w that if they would have told the media and I had heard, it wouldn't have been in my house.
We need to get this out of our homes and school computer labs. Using Dust Off isn't new and some "professionals" do know about. It just isn't talked about much, except by the kids. They all seem to know about
it.
April 2nd was 1 month since Kyle died. April 5th would have been his 15th birthday. And every weekday I catch myself sitting on the living room couch at 2:30 in the afternoon and waiting to see him get off the bus. I know Kyle is in heaven but I can't help but wonder if I died and went to Hell.
This Officer is asking for EVERYONE who receives this email to forward it to everyone in their address book, even Law Enforcement Officers. Even if you do not have children, you can still forward this to friends who do.
Signs of Depression Don't overlook them Teen depression may develop in teenagers who have personal, family, and social problems. It is not true that only adults suffer from this problem. Teens can also have this intense mental and emotional problem plaguing them.
For parents and guardians, it is important that you know the tell tale signs that your teenaged child is suffering from depression. Knowing of the illness before it becomes worse is crucial, if you want to restore the emotional and mental fitness of your son or daughter.
1. Frequent crying, intense sadness, and tearfulness
Sadness can be manifested in many ways other than crying and showing tears. Some teens convey sadness through the way they dress. They can also use their ability to write and compose poems and stories. Some show it through the choice of music they want to hear. Always be on the lookout for these. If your teen seems to be displaying a sense of depression through their manner, there could be a problem somewhere.
2. Hopelessness
There are instances that your teenaged son or daughter feel their life is not worth living anymore. They could be overtly pessimistic and cynical about the general things around them. They could even do it to the extent they do not care what they looked like and how people percieve them. If you think your teen is doing this, be more on the lookout. He or she may be depressed.
3. Shows less interest in their otherwise favorite activity
If you teenager suddenly drops out of their sports or clubs either from school or with friends, there could be something wrong. Any individual who does not want to have fun to an elevated degree could definitely be depressed.
4. Low energy
If your teenage son or daughter seems to be bored all the time, no matter how enjoyable the activity is, he or she can be depressed. Low grades and lack of motivation to succeed can also be a sign of depression.
5. Social seclusion
A previously bubbly teenage who unexpectedly wanted to be alone more often than necessary is enough reason to be alarmed. If your teenager prefers to avoid parties and gatherings with friends or families, they should be given more attention. Even more so, if the teenager does not want to talk about his feelings or what is bothering him.
6. Lowered Confidence
A person who is suffering from dwindling self-confidence is a person who feels negatively about failures. A person, on the other hand, who feels guilt and negative opinions about their own self, is certainly on the verge of depression.
7. Irritability
Being irritable is a common reaction of a depressed individual, teen or otherwise. Teens who usually take out on their angers on their family are showing the signs of depression. They can also be sarcastic, critical, or even abusive to the younger ones.
8. Poor school performance
If your teenagers tend to be absent from school, or are causing trouble while there, they definitely problematic. Depression may be taking its toll on them, which is why their schoolwork is slowly being affected. The sadder part of this is that the root cause may be misdiagnosed. Parents and teachers may not even realize they are dealing with a depressed teen.
Teen depression is real. Parents need to stay engaged with their kids, and be aware of their kids' feelings and their physical condition. Communication is the key. Depression should not settle in to a person in their tender years. When that happens, it has to be treated right away.
Recognizing Risk Factors & Warning Signs in Adolescents
Certain conditions and circumstances make an adolescent more at risk for antisocial and/or self-destructive behaviors. Some circumstances are more predictive of problematic behavior if they occur in early or mid-adolescence as opposed to pre-adolescence or childhood.
Because adolescence is a period of significant change for a person (sexual, physical, emotional, and behavioral), strong guidance from parents and teachers can help guide a teen through these stressful and new experiences. Open communication about such topics as emerging sexual feelings and confusion about the changing relationships among peers does much to help a teenager understand that what they are experiencing is normal. Teens should not be pressured into "growing up," but should be allowed to develop their skills in an age-appropriate manner. Often the biggest conflict adolescents have with their parents is that they are expected to act like adults but are treated like children. Parents who have positive communication with their adolescents can negotiate the minefield of budding independence in a way that will protect the teen from "jumping out of the nest" too early yet allow them to experience the power of independent decision making.
Risk Factors for...
Violence
Victim of physical or sexual abuse
Brain injury
History of violent acts
Exposure to violence in community
Exposure to violence in home
Firearms in the home
Socioeconomic stresses
Antisocial attitudes/beliefs
Family attitude toward violence
Behavioral: restlessness, difficulty concentrating, risk taking
Hostility toward authority
Gang affiliation
Weak social ties
Intense anger, low frustration level
Alcohol/Drug Use
Social influences
Parents/Peers attitude toward use
Education regarding health issues
Mood disorder
Parent with substance problem
Genetic factors
Suicide
Mood disorder (bipolar especially)
Substance abuse
Family history
Previous threats, attempts
Suicide of a friend | Early signs of gang involvement Parents, educators, and other concerned adults should watch for signs of gang involvement. Changes in a child’s behavior or activities, which may be early warning signs of gang involvement, include
change in types of friends
changes in dress habits, such as wearing the same color combination all the time (note: that style changes quickly and just because a child wears a certain type of clothingdoes not mean he or she is in a gang)
displaying gang symbols on books, clothing, or locker
wearing tattooscarrying extra cash from unknown sources
carrying a weapon
losing interest in school and family
getting arrested or detained by police
becoming truant
using alcohol and other drugs
talking in gang-style language
using hand signals to communicate with others.
Youth Gangs and Violence Although once thought to be an inner-city problem, gang violence has spread to communities throughout the United States. At last count, there were more than 24,500 different youth gangs around the country, and more than 772,500 teens and young adults were members of gangs
Teens join gangs for a variety of reasons. Some are seeking excitement; others are looking for prestige, protection, a chance to make money, or a sense of belonging. Few teens are forced to join gangs; in most cases, teens can refuse to join without fear of retaliation.
Membership on the Rise
There has been a dramatic increase in gang activity in the United States since the 1970's. In the 1970's, gangs were active in less than half the states, but now every state reports youth gang activity. And, while many people think of gangs as just an inner-city problem, that is clearly no longer the case. In the past few decades we have seen a dramatic increase in the growth of gang problems in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas
Since 1996, the overall number of gangs and gang members in the United States has decreased. However, in cities with a population over 25,000, gang involvement still remains near peak levels.
Age of Members
Most youth gang members are between the ages of 12 and 24, and the average age is about 17 to 18 years. Around half of youth gang members are 18 or older, and they are much more likely to be involved in serious and violent crimes than younger gang members. Only about 1-in-4 youth gang members are ages 15 to 17.
For most teens, gang membership is a brief phase. Three studies that tracked teens over time found that one-half to two-thirds of youth gang members leave the gang by the one-year mark
Girls in Gangs
Male youth are much more likely to join gangs than female youth. It is hard to get a good estimate of the number of female gangs and gang members, however, because many police jurisdictions do not count girls as gang members. While the national estimates based on police reports indicate that only about 8% of gang members are female, one 11-city survey of eighth-graders found that 38% of gang members are female. Female gangs are somewhat more likely to be found in small cities and rural areas than in large cities, and female gang members tend to be younger, on average, than male gang members.
Female gang members are involved in less delinquent or criminal activity than male gang members, and they commit fewer violent crimes. However, female gang members are still an important concern. In one survey, 78% of female gang members reported being involved in gang fights, 65% reported carrying a weapon for protection, and 39% reported attacking someone with a weapon.
Not Just an Inner-City Problem
Although many people think of gangs as a problem confined to the inner-city neighborhoods, that is clearly no longer the case. In the past few decades there has been a dramatic increase in the growth of gang problems in smaller cities, towns, and villages.When surveyed in 1999, 66 percent of large cities, 47 percent of suburban counties, 27 percent of small cities, and 18 percent of rural counties reported active youth gangs.
Gangs in suburban, small town, and rural areas are different than gangs in large cities. They include more females, white, and younger youth, and are more likely to have ethnically and racially mixed memberships.
Gangs at School
Youth gangs are linked with serious crime problems in elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Students report much higher drug availability when gangs are active at their school. Schools with gangs have nearly double the likelihood of violent victimization at school than those without a gang presence. Teens that are gang members are much more likely than other teens to commit serious and violent crimes. For example, a survey in Denver found that while only 14% of teens were gang members, they were responsible for committing 89% of the serious violent crimes
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