Since the beginning of the Five Moms Campaign, I have been working to make sure that parents know that the Internet can be a dangerous place for kids. There are so many predators online, and so much information promoting drug abuse, like cough medicine abuse, and other risky behaviors. On June 19, USA Today reinforced that fact in a report that tells us that 10 million online messages were written in the past year that show teens chat regularly about abusing drugs and partying. Here is an excerpt from the USA Today article:

Ashley Duffy, 18, knew her parents wouldn’t tap into her online journal so she wrote freely about her drug use. She says she used the Internet to contact her dealer and connect at parties with people who had drugs. “Kids are really open about it. I see posts from other people describing a night on acid or whatever,” says Duffy of West Chester, Pa., who underwent treatment and says she has been drug-free for 16 months. “I think they think their parents are clueless. And I guess they are.” A study being released today of more than 10 million online messages written by teens in the past year shows they regularly chat about drinking alcohol, smoking pot, partying and hooking up. The Caron Treatment Centers, a non-profit program in Wernersville, Pa., that also funds research into drug addiction, commissioned the study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics. Nielson analysts used a computer program to search blogs, public chat rooms, messages boards and other places that attract teens. About 2% of the posts specifically mentioned drugs or alcohol.

In order to protect their children, every parent needs to be aware of the children’s online activities. Please click the links below for more information by the Five Moms to: Find out how to protect your child online. Talk to your kids about abuse. Safeguard your children.