Social Media Danger

Protecting your child’s safety and exposure to illicit drugs can be challenging when the world is at their fingertips. Social media can be an easy outlet for young people to find and sell drugs, and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to social media drug trafficking because of their high social media usage. Platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook are being utilized by drug trafficking networks in establishing new clientele and meeting the demand more directly and discreetly.

How are drug traffickers using these platforms to market and sell drugs? There are many ways, here are some common ones to be aware of:

• They follow youth on social media platforms and use direct messages and comments on posts/stories to market drug products by using code words or emojis

• They market their products using their own platform to post stories showing drugs and promote drugs through sharing photos of money, expensive clothes and jewelry, etc. to upsell drug product

• They use encrypted communication apps, such as WhatsApp or Telegram to set up meet times, deliveries, and payment for drugs.

What precautions can parents and caregivers take to protect their child?

• Know the dangers of counterfeit drugs and stay up to date on language/emojis around drug trafficking; Fentanyl is currently being referred to as “skittles,” “popcorn,” “confetti,” and “blues” (see the above infographic for common emojis used for drug trafficking).

• Talk with your child about safety features and privacy settings on social media platforms; some include turning off location and map features on Snapchat, setting all profiles to private, deleting messages from unknown numbers in encrypted messaging apps, and blocking/reporting any profiles that are unfamiliar or come across as scams

Michelle Sambrano is director of Prevention Programs for Southwest Behavioral & Health Services. For more information and resources, visit https://www.sbhservices.org

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