Latest drug trends are targeting a younger crowd by disguising hard drugs like meth and heroin to look and sound as innocent and inexpensive as candy. Meth cooks are adding flavoring such as strawberry and chocolate to make the drug look, smell, and even taste like candy. Also, heroin is being mixed with Tylenol PM and other cold medicines and sold for as little as $2 a hit. By disguising some of the bitter taste and steep price of drugs, and giving them innocent names such as "strawberry quick" and "cheese", dealers are tricking many youth into believing that these drugs are harmless.

Using these marketing strategies drug dealers are leading children, as young as ten, into a devastating spiral of addiction. One example happened in February when, "To entice children around Valentine's Day, manufacturers and dealers compressed the flavored form of the drug into heart shapes, colored it bright pink and wrapped it in shiny paper," the Idaho Press-Tribune reported. "Just like regular meth, the 'quick' versions can be broken up into a powder and snorted with a drinking straw, can be smoked or can be re-liquified and injected intravenously."

There have also been many reports of children who have been tricked into taking these drugs by their friends, thinking it was merely candy. Because of its appearance and affordable price youth of all ages are more likely to overdose and end up being addicted.

Your child interacts with friends, neighbors and strangers everyday who could potentially posses these or other harmful and devastating drugs. Your child could easily be tricked into "using" without proper education and sometimes intervention. Educate your child about these and other harmful drugs, know your children, know their friends, know the facts, and realize the consequences.

If you think your child needs help, or you would like to help prevent this from happening to your child, call Parent Help today at 1-800-688-8706.