LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
Clark County police officers, teachers and counselors are trying to stay on top of the latest trends when it comes to students and drugs. Unfortunately, they're finding that the kids are usually one step ahead of them.
Student drug-users are using household items that seem harmless enough, but have you ever looked closely at the bottom of every potato chip can?
"It's a fully functioning chip can, but the bottom screws off so you have a little concealment area in there," explained Clark County School District Police Officer Steve Ufford.
He demonstrated the use of several items that were originally designed to hide money and valuables, but now local schools are looking at these items as a potential hiding spot for drugs like marijuana and ecstasy.
Students have even been found to be rolling up pills in candy wrappers, using eyedrop bottles to store alcohol, and fake decorative rocks for outdoor hiding.
"We have found these [rocks] on the exterior parts of the school in the desert areas," Ufford said.
The items are easily found in local stores and online, which concerns school officials. Teachers and counselors are being trained on how to spot the faux containers.
If students are caught with drugs, they are required to attend a six-hour class with their parents. Last year, 2,500 students were referred to the program – of that number, 1,800 were caught with marijuana, and more than 400 had designer drugs, like ecstasy and spice.
"These are very talented kids who are just on a rough path right now, and I've been there, done that and they can relate to that," said Mike Fildes, who is a youth recovery initiative coordinator at Foundation For Recovery.
Fildes is a recovering addict himself, but has been clean for three years. Now, he is teaching kids about the dangers of drugs.
"Just kind of use our life experiences as a deterrent - don't go down the same path that we went down," he said.
Jodi Joyce, the county's Safe and Drug Free Schools coordinator told FOX5 that parents usually have no idea what's going on until it is too late.
"Kids are creative - very, very creative," said Joyce. "[Students] say they use anything and everything so they can't find it."
The anti-drug D.A.R.E. program was recently cut from CCSD schools. The man who led the program for 13 years says now it comes down almost exclusively to parental involvement.
"If the child lives in your house, you have the right to go through their belongings as long as they're living under your roof," said retired Metro Sgt. Mark Sharp.
A group called HYPER is trying to pick up some slack after the D.A.R.E. program ended. "Helping Young People Experience Recovery" has been educating students about the dangers of drug use, using former drug users as teachers.
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Containers of soda and chips have been used to hide drugs
Rocks that can easily blend in with landscaping have been found at CCSD schools
