Although there are thousands of documents telling you what to look for if your child is on drugs, there are not many ways to tell if your child is actually selling drugs. According to the Department of Justice, the mandatory minimum sentence for dealing drugs is determined by the drugs that the person is selling. Recently the age of drug dealers is decreasing and the minimum age for sentencing as an adult has too.

The Biggest Sign is Income

The biggest sign that your child is dealing drugs is his or her income. If your child suddenly starts purchasing things on their own with no other source of income, it is possible they are dealing drugs. Before mentioning drug dealing it is important to ascertain that the money is not coming from another source such as a relative or part time employment.

A person with no income being able to purchase expensive things has a hidden source of income. Drug dealing in this case is extremely likely.

Unusual Journals

Some drug dealers keep logs of their purchases and income. Many of them need to do this to make sure that they remember who owes them money for what. Each journal entry is probably encoded with either a numeric sequence or a alpha numeric sequence. These journals are usually kept with the dealer

Equipment for Selling and Using Drugs

If your child is dealing drugs chances are they have the equipment to do so. This includes drug paraphernalia and other objects such as:

• pipes,
• bags,
• scales,
• cutting agents,
• razor blades,
• rolled straws or money, and
• Ziploc or sandwich bags.

These are all either paraphernalia or tools used to sell drugs. The presents of these are an indicator that your child is at least doing drugs if not selling them. Another good

Indications of Drug Use

Although not technically signs of dealing drugs, many dealers wind up using drugs. The classic signs of drug use are well known. Some of these signs are:

• paraphernalia,
• glassy eyes,
• mood swings,
• agitation,
• irritability,
• changes in sleeping patterns,
• suspicious absences,
• suspicious phone calls, and
• changes in friends.

There are a lot more signs that are specific to the drug that the person is doing or dealing. The signs of these drugs are hard to predict and often mimic other illnesses or teenage behavior.

Talk to Your Child

One of the best ways to learn the habits and preferences of your child is to have frank open conversations with them. By establishing the bonds of trust between the two of you, you can convince them when they need help. If you suspect that your child is dealing drugs or addicted to drugs, call 800-934-1582(Who Answers?) for help. For more information of getting that help or to find treatment for yourself or your child, call us before it is too late.