Protecting our Youth from Dangerous Drug Trends

Jesus said in Matthew 18:6, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Simply put, Jesus was serious about protecting young people.

Satan’s “Scandal”

Remember when everybody thought cigarettes and tobacco were safe? Well, the reality is that these substances were never safe! Tobacco companies developed highly effective marketing strategies to make consumers believe they were safe. It was, perhaps, one of the biggest scandals in human history.

Now, we’re seeing another, perhaps more dangerous, scandal. This scandal involves drug dealers using social media platforms as a way to target youth to do their dirty work…and it’s working. The phrase “shall offend” (Matthew 18:6) is derived from the Greek word skandalizo (Strong’s G4625) from which we derive the word “scandal.” It means to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way; to entice to sin; to cause one to fall away.

The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, recently urged Congress to place “warning labels” on social media apps akin to labels placed on cigarettes and alcohol (CNN, 2024). Dr. Murthy sounds the alarm on the fact that children, in particular, are exposed to harmful content on social media, including bullying, sexual content, harassment, body-shaming, and access to illicit drug substances. Latest survey data suggests that 95% of youth aged 13-17 years of age are using social media, and more than 30% of those say they are using social media “almost constantly” (HHS, 2024). Of note, Snapchat and Reddit were identified as having “...easily accessible drug dealing…” and that “...each [platform] host[s] active digital drug markets well suited to taking advantage of the platforms’ features while avoiding effective moderation” (Demant & Aagesen, 2022).

Snapchat’s Door-to-Door Drug Delivery

Snapchat allows users to send direct messages and images privately anonymously. These images are available for 24 hours before the app automatically deletes them from a chat. This functionality creates a sense of privacy, but it also allows users to covertly deliver messages related to drug acquisition and delivery. Drug dealers are using this social media platform as a way to coordinate and traffic illicit drugs using young people as their pawns. And it’s all happening right under parent’s noses. “No longer confined to street corners and the dark web, criminal drug networks are now in every home and school in America because of the internet apps on our smartphones” (DEA, 2022). While this latest scandal affects all age groups, adolescents and young adults are especially susceptible due to high social media usage rates.

The Scandal Exposed

Parents! Drug dealers are using a simple three-step process to sell our young people illicit substances: Advertise, Connect, Pay (DEA, 2022). Recently, a colleague of mine shared how members of her community have experienced situations involving drug traffickers soliciting their children via social media platforms.

For example, young people spend long hours on the front porch of their homes waiting for the “goods” to be delivered. In other situations, young people are telling their parents that they are stepping outside for fresh air, yet they are stepping outside to intercept their shipment of illicit drugs. Unfortunately, Amazon packages are not the only online order young people are waiting for. Drug dealers typically target young people who have expressed some level of mental health distress. These are the perfect targets for drug traffickers.

What Can Parents Do?

Parents and caregivers should consider the following strategies to promote appropriate social media use in their home.

● Pay attention to your child’s social media use.

● Establish tech-free zones in your home, such as the dinner table.

● Teach kids to report problematic content and activity.

● Model responsible behavior surrounding social media use for your children.

● Stay aware of recent threats and trends on social media apps.

● Share the message with your neighbors and community.

● Ask for help with navigating the conversation around drug use with your children.

Jesus Christ will ultimately judge those people proliferating a skandalizo on young believers. As parents, and as a church community, we have a duty to protect our young people from dangerous scandals. Be encouraged! It’s not too late (or too early) to talk to your children about the dangers of social media and other internet apps.

Matmon Harrell, PharmD, LEO

Associate Pastor, Aphesis Church

apaphesischurch@gmail.com

References

CNN (2024). Surgeon General demands warning labels on social media apps. Accessed from https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/media/surgeon-general-social-media-apps-warning-label/index.html#:~:text=Surgeon%20General%20Dr.%20Vivek%20Murthy,does%20with%20cigarettes%20and%20alcohol.

Drug Enforcement Agency (2022). Social media drug trafficking threat. DEA.GOV

Demant, J., & Aagesen, M.B. (2022). An analysis of drug dealing via social media. European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.HHS (2024). Surgeon General issues new advisory about effects social media use has on youth mental health. Accessed from https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/23/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html