There are many techniques for you to keep your kids off drugs and away from websites where they can learn more about and buy them. They won’t be easy to implement but they are definitely worth the time and effort. The ease and availability of getting drugs has gone way up because of the internet, and so parents also have to step up their awareness and monitoring of their children’s activities. Good luck, and happy parenting!

Dangerous Drugs and Their Availability on the Web | Part I | Part II | Part III |

This survey was done a few years back, and since then the purchases of prescription drugs online has increased. One teenager shared his experience with online drugs. “I was always searching [the Internet] for new ways to get high,” said Sean, a 17 year old being treated at Pathway Family Center in Indianapolis. “My friends and I ordered ‘legal marijuana,’ which was terrible. I found out how to grow marijuana, how to make it more potent, how to crush pills. I linked my IM [instant messenger] to my favorite drug sites so that my friends could find them, too. When my parents wanted to drug test me, I found out online how to detox so I could get around the tests and show up clean.” Parents need to realize that there are many websites out there that teach your children bad things. The Internet is a great resource when used correctly and therefore banning it completely is a mistake, but parents would also be making a mistake thinking teens won’t find websites that encourage and promote drug use.

It is far too easy nowadays for any teen looking to spice up a party to go online and buy some pills for his friends. Make sure your kids know the increased dangers of taking these pills purchased from foreign drug dealers. They should already know the risks associated with local drug dealers and gateway drugs, but it is also important for them to recognize the increased dangers with the new designer drugs.

Many people have found gainful employment due to a Craigslist posting. There has been more than one career started through Craigslist advertising, such as the Hipster House cleaner from Washington, D.C., as well as the author of this article. There are thousands of success stories of people locating housing—you can find anything from a single bedroom rental to a multi-million dollar home for sale in Malibu. And finally, there have been many happy couples who were able to meet by making a connection through Craigslist… | Part I | Part II | Part III |

Unfortunately, there have been several cases of murder, theft and other crimes that have occurred as a direct result of relationships formed through Craigslist. Even such horrifying things as the “Craigslist Killer” have been spotlighted on the news. When you accept the terms and conditions of the site, you release Craigslist from all responsibility for such occurrences. Therefore, it’s up to you to be smart about the interactions you choose to make. In more than one of these cases, children were involved in the crimes. Most of these crimes can be traced to users not being smart about sharing personal information.