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I Can Stalk U: Geotagging Gone Wild
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Parents have a new reason to be concerned about the photos their children are posting online. And this one has nothing to do with a lack of clothes or poor judgment. In a terrifying twist of technology, it seems a great many people are unknowingly giving away their address, every time they post a new photo to the internet or send a picture message on their cell phone.
The information comes in the form of GPS coordinates, and is automatically coded into the photo as a cluster of meta data. This means that it is invisible to the naked eye. Most users don’t even know it’s there. But when interpreted by a computer, the location is accurate to about one meter, meaning that it can easily reveal a person’s address, right down to the house number. In fact, once entered into Google maps, a free internet service, a perfect stranger can not only see an areal view of the location, but quickly obtain directions to the doorstep. So in less than a minute, someone can download a picture that you’ve sent via cell phone, or posted to a social networking site, pull out the GPS coordinates and have your address. Once they have your address, its just another quick internet search to obtain the name listed on the home’s deed. Suddenly, the term “revealing photograph”, takes on a whole new meaning.
How widespread is this practice? Take a deep breath. There are now plug-ins available for all major internet browsers, that automatically pull this GPS information out of the photos displayed on your screen. Just click on the photo you’re interested in, and you’ve got the info. A great many free sites, such as CameraSummary.com now offer “image data extraction” as a service inviting users to visit their url. A website called ICANSTALKU.COM is one online source that continually displays a running feed of people’s internet photo’s, along with the address at which they were taken. The company that launched the site says that it did so as a public service announcement, but if you spend just a few seconds staring at the information being displayed in front of you, your stomach will start to turn. Several well known celebrities have inadvertently revealed their own home or vacation location, by unknowingly posting their photos via twitter or other online sources.
But the Paparazzi aren’t the only ones salivating over this information. And your profile picture isn’t the only one to be concerned about. If you’ve recently posted a photo to an online classified add, such as Craigslist.com, or some other internet sales site, you may be providing much more information than you intended. By uploading a picture of a bicycle 
you’re selling, you could also be uploading the real location of where the bicycle is being stored. Post a picture from work, or maybe from your kid’s soccer game, and you’ve just given the location information to any creep that wants it.
GPS data isn’t the only worry. Digital photography has always allowed us to include hidden information with the pictures that we take. Most of it is included automatically, without your knowledge or approval. The image file name is the simplest example of information that is invisible to the eye. Recently, cameras and photo libraries began including more hidden data, such as date, exposure, color balance and other technical details of the shot. The serial number of your camera is there too, along with other things. If you’ve edited the photo with a particular software, that’s likely included as well. What’s more, many people are unaware that this metadata includes a thumbnail of their original image. This means that if you’ve cropped or edited someone out of your uploaded image, they are still visible in the thumbnail, which is available in the hidden data.
Your camera has to have GPS capability in order include that information with the shot, but this is not considered a groundbreaking feature, and most users are unaware that their device even has it. And while your smartphone likely has a setting which allows you to disable the GPS imprint, it is not easy to find. Moreover, some phones, such as the iphone 3G, only allow you to turn the GPS off completely. This means that if you turn it off for the camera, you also disable other convenient features that rely upon GPS. The best way to determine if your device includes GPS information, is to review the owner’s manual. The same site mentioned earlier, ICANSTALKU.COM also publishes a list of popular devices, along with instructions on how to disable the GPS feature.
There are ways of removing the metadata from your photos. Metadata is referred to as Exif, IPTC or XMP, and there are various programs / websites that strip it from your files. Just do an internet search for “meta stripper” or include any of the abbreviations above, along with the term “remove”. You can also use photo editing software to create a blank photo file of the same size as your original shot. Then copy the original shot and paste it into the blank photo file. Make sure you save it under a new name. It’s a good idea to preserve your original shot, though, because the metadata actually is very useful under most circumstances.
It’s also important to mention, that not all internet sites preserve the metadata of the photos that are uploaded. If you’re not going to strip the data from your images, its a very good idea to research the site you intend to share your photos on.
For more family oriented Alerts like this, please visit MpoweredParent.com, or like our ALERTS page on facebook.
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Summer Swim Survival
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In 2007 there were over 3400 unintentional drownings in America; an average of ten per day.(1) Each year, 750 young children drown while engaging in water play. Half of them will do so within 25 yards of a caregiver, and an alarming number of watchful guardians will unknowingly watch their child succumb right in front of them. Drowning is the number two cause of death for kids under the age of 15.(2) For every one child that dies from drowning, another four will receive emergency care for submersion related injuries.(1) These injuries can include life-long brain damage.
Over the next several months, there will be several news stories of children drowning in crowded pools, drowning under life guard supervision or drowning while under the watchful eye of parents. Though the instinct is to label the children’s caregivers as inattentive, or assume that they were distracted, the truth is actually more troubling. The fact is, drowning doesn’t look like drowning.
Unless you have been trained as a life guard, you are very likely to have been incorrectly programmed by a Hollywood version of the drowning scenario. The screaming, the gasping, the desperate flailing etc. Unfortunately, this depiction is grossly exaggerated. In real life, parents aren’t likely to be afforded any of these conspicuous warning signs. In fact, most drowning victims are silent, unable to call for help, unable to signal distress – even when help is nearby. The stereotypical “drowning signs” popularized on TV, are actually signals of aquatic distress. While drowning can follow aquatic distress, particularly in surf conditions, it frequently occurs without any such clues.
Flat water drownings, such as in pools and lakes, doesn’t typically include conspicuous signs of distress. According to the CDC, even when aquatic distress occurs, it is usually brief and more subtle than most people expect. Studies show that non-swimming adults can only struggle for about 60 seconds prior to submerging. Small children might only be visible for 20 seconds, or less, before disappearing. Instead of flailing or calling for help, these victims stiffen their bodies in an attempt to stretch their mouths above the water line. Desperately struggling for breath, they are unable to call for help. Hands are not stretched out above the water line, but down towards the waist, as if trying to push the body out of the water. Experts refer to these traits as the Instinctive Drowning Response.(3)
Drowning has also been known to claim children who were thought to be experienced swimmers, such as teens. Water play can be exhausting and unpredictable. It is easy for kids to near oxygen debt just by way of their activities. When something unexpected happens (a float over the head, a kid pulling from below, disorientation etc.) things can rapidly go from fun to fatal.
For parents, knowing how fast it can happen, and what it can look like, is half the battle. Most people just don’t know. Swimming where lifeguards are present is another key preventative measure. Adequate, and redundant, supervision is always important around water play activities. It’s a good idea to think twice about that ipod or novel, especially if you’re the primary guardian. And remember to talk to your kids about this subject. Don’t overestimate their swimming abilities. Practice what they should do if they realize that they are in trouble.
Visit the Your Recent Alerts blog at MpoweredParent.com, for more Alerts like this.
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References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS)
2.Borse NN, Gilchrist J, Dellinger AM, Rudd RA, Ballesteros MF, Sleet DA. CDC Childhood Injury Report: Patterns of Unintentional Injuries among 0-19 Year Olds in the United States, 2000-2006 (2008)
2. Pia F., Observations on the Drowning of Nonswimmers. Journal of Physical Education, The YMCA Society of North America, Warsaw, IN; 1974.
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Does Your Kids Phone Have “ICE” On It?
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If your child has a cell phone, you’ll want to make sure that its got ICE on it. Ice stands for “In Case of Emergency”, and it’s what first responders will be looking for if your child is ever in need of emergent care. You enter the information, in all caps, as a contact in the cell phone’s address book. God forbid your loved one is ever involved in some kind of incident where they are unable to speak for themselves, this one simple step could save prescious time.
You will be glad to know that if emergent care is required to save your child’s life, hospital personnel will render critical care, even if Mom or Dad has not yet arrived or given consent. There are plenty of circumstances, though, where not being able to contact a legal guardian can impeded important medical procedures. When most teens go out, they carry a cell phone, but do not carry any form of identification. Worse yet, many college students go out carrying a cell phone, along with fake identification. These circumstances can be incredibly frustrating in the critical first few moments of an unfolding emergency.
To make sure it doesn’t happen to you, grab your kid’s phone and enter a new contact as “ICE”, then program the phone number that is most likely to be answered at all times. You can have more than one ICE contact, such as: ICE Dad 555-212-1234 and ICE Mom 555-212-2234. In some phones, you can type the entire “In Case of Emergency” in the name field. Just be careful not to substitute “EMERGENCY” for “ICE”. Some phones come pre-programed with an ‘EMERGENCY’ speed dial set to 911. First responders will go right past it looking for the ICE number.
For many parents, the decision to purchase a cell phone for their teen or pre-teen is a difficult one. The thought of your child being able to reach critical help when needed is usually one of the considerations given. Be sure to consider the possibility of a child that has been injured, or otherwise rendered incapable of communicating intelligently. A few spare seconds spent programming that ICE number now, could later turn out to be some of the best time you’ve ever spent on the phone. While you’re at it…what’s in your own phone?
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New Legal Drug Bates Teens
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New Legal Drug Bates Teens
Move over Marijuana, a new drug has just hit the market. It packs all the punch of pot, and then some. It doesn’t show up on drug tests and is readily available for purchase. It can be bought through the internet, or right over the counter at your local smoke shop. Worst of all, it’s legal and being marketed towards teens. As increasing publicity hits the mass media and social networking sites, this drug seems destined to make a big splash amongst the teen party crowd. Unfortunately, it’s impact is already being felt in hospital emergency rooms.
Called “K2″, the new substance is sold as herbal incense. But at $30 a pack – approximately the same cost as illegal marijuana – customers buy it expecting much more that a pleasant aroma. And the product doesn’t disappoint. It’s the latest in a string of highly potent products that include a recently discovered synthetic form of cannabinoids. They started appearing in the U.S. a little less than a year ago, and have been sold under several different names (Spice, Summit, Red Dragon Smoke, Fake Weed, Supernova, Genie etc.). K2 alone, has been linked to at least thirty hospitalizations in the St. Louis area in just the past couple of months.
The synthetic Cannabinoids of K2 produce effects which are significantly more powerful than those produced by the naturally occurring Cannabinoids found in street level Marijuana. One of the active ingredients, HU-210, is between 100 – 800 times more potent than THC, and chemists have found the smoked drug to be ten times more powerful than pot. The side effects are more powerful as well, with some users experiencing severe heart palpitations, dangerous hallucinations, dangerously elevated blood pressure, vomiting and panic attacks. The drug is too new for experts to gauge how powerful the addictive properties of K2 will be, and no information is yet available evaluate the mid to long-range health effects.
Though the U.S. Customs Service banned a predecessor of K2 from being imported into the United States, a string of imitation products quickly developed to fill the void. Several states, and the federal government, have been left scrambling to develop legislation and enforcement initiatives in response to the new threat. In the meantime, we are left with a very dangerous product on the market. One which is legal to possess and use, is easily purchased, and growing in popularity amongst teens.
Why is it legal? Because it’s sold as either plant food, or incense. There’s been no testing done on humans. Unfortunately, as with the huffing of household chemicals, there’s no shortage of people who are willing to give it a try. Internet blogs are full of users bragging about the use of the drug; many offering instructions on how to use the product. The catch phrases, “legal” and “undetectable” beckon to many teens. Smoke shops can’t keep it on their shelves.
Detection
Parents should look for dilated pupils, distorted perceptions, trouble estimating elapsed time, hallucinations, and a spacey attitude. Effects last approximately thirty minutes.
The drug itself looks much like marijuana, and most commonly resembles green vegetation. The synthetic compound can be sprayed over any substance, so the product in the package can actually come in many forms.
Parents should be on the lookout for smoking paraphernalia. K2 is used in the same way as marijuana. It is rolled into joints or smoked in bongs. For pictures of this paraphernalia, visit our Marijuana Tutorial.
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Be Careful, it’s 4/20!
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Most people know to stay off the roads on New Year’s Eve, or at least use extra caution out of respect for the higher rates of drunk drivers. Less well known are the dangers associated with April 20th.
On this date, marijuana smokers the world over, but mostly in America, will celebrate their affection for recreational intoxication. Throughout the day, but with greatest frequency at 4:20 pm, thousands of pot enthusiasts will be getting high in an international display of enthusiasm. Some of this will be done in private, but law enforcement agencies are preparing for public displays of open law breaking and increased rates of accidental injury.
Marijuana impairs the central nervous system for up to four hours, meaning that even the private celebratory “hit” inhaled by an enthusiast at 4:20, will keep him in a diminished capacity long through the evening commute home.
In edition to being cautious on the roadways, today is a great day for cautious parents to conduct an impromptu urine test of their teens. The most common time for kids to smoke marijuana is after school on weekdays. Today’s celebration completes the trifecta. A test conducted this evening with have a higher likelihood of exposing what may be a developing habit of drug use.
For more on marijuana, please visit our Marijuana Tutorial, where we’ve got all you ever wanted to know about this, the most popular illicit substance used by teens.
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Runaway Cars!
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“We’re out of control, No brakes!” Those were some of the final words of 45 year old Mark Saylor. He screamed them at the 911 operator as his car hurtled down the highway at 120 MPH. The loaner Lexus that he and his family had just picked up, allegedly suffered a malfunction which caused the accelerator to stick at full throttle. Seconds after calling 911, Saylors car entered an intersection and crashed horrifically. He, his wife, his thirteen year old daughter and his brother in law were all killed. These August 2009 deaths were just one small facet of the the “stuck gas pedal” phenomenon that’s been present in the media for several months now.
But this isn’t the first such occurrence. Back in the 80′s, Audi faced a stuck accelerator scandal of its own, as have other manufacturers. And truth be told, stuck accelerators are not an altogether uncommon phenomenon, nor is it a danger isolated to any one make or model. Stuck gas pedals and disabled brakes are commonly caused by everyday objects like bunched floor mats, loose water bottles rolling between pedals, and stray purses entangling the driver’s feet. So whether this scandal is ultimately linked to electronic malfunction, or faulty floor mats, it presents a very good learning opportunity for young drivers, and their not so young parents.
This isn’t one of the scenarios covered in Drivers Ed. And its not one easily solved by common sense, which by the way, is completely lost in panic scenarios. In fact, Saylor, the man mentioned in the first paragraph, was a 17 year veteran of the California Highway Patrol. Not even he could find a way of saving his family. Witnesses reported Saylors brakes to be engulfed in flames and completely ineffective as he wove through traffic.
Why didn’t he turn off the engine? The car he was operating was a loaner, and turned out to be a model with a push button ignition. There were no keys to turn off. But contrary to what might have been your first thought, shutting off the engine would not have been a good thing here. By holding the button in for three seconds, an eternity under those conditions, Saylor could have stopped the engine. But in so doing, he would have lost all power assist to the brakes, all vehicle control systems would have gone down, and the steering wheel would have locked in the anti-theft position. And that’s exactly what would happen to you if you suddenly turned off the key of your car while driving. Saylor was already traveling at highway speeds, and this certainly would have worsened the scenario.
Things like shifting into neutral, park or a lower gear can also help in these situations, but this requires removing a hand from the wheel, which may also do more harm than good.
So what do you do? Mash and Crash. First, take both feet and mash that brake pedal all the way to the floor. This is a good technique, because it also happens to be your first instinct. The only problem is that it might not work right away. People tend to pump the brakes instead of just holding them. This is where Saylor likely erred. But according to an article recently published in Car and Driver magazine, mashing the brakes to the floor will eventually stop an out of control vehicle, even when it is racing at full throttle. In many cases, the car will actually stop very quickly. Conversely, pumping the brakes will ultimately cause total brake failure.
Second, you crash it. Far better that you choose the crash, than let fate do the choosing for you. Certain objects are much more forgiving than others. You never want to crash into an oncoming vehicle, the back of a tractor trailer, or a large tree. These things have a high fatality rate. Likewise, you never want to hit a baby carriage, or the driver’s door of another occupied car. But certain things are very capable of safely stopping a runaway car. And you should make a habit of noticing these things, just in case you need them someday.
Highways are lined by Jersey Barriers, guard rails and light landscaping that are designed to safely scrub off speed. Things like corn fields, parking meters and parked cars are perfect for stopping a vehicle without causing injury. Even heavy objects can do the job, so long as you sideswipe them rather than take a direct frontal impact. The trick is to purposely hit these things, which can be difficult for drivers who are used to avoiding crashes at all costs.
The runaway car scenario is one which every parent should discuss with their young drivers, and those who may take rides from younger drivers. As with so many things, a few well placed words today, may someday make all the difference in the world.
For more on this topic, check out this Car and Driver post: How to Deal With Unintended Acceleration
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Are You Hearing Voices?
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Don’t be surprised if you soon start hearing strange voices coming from your teenie’s bedroom. But don’t dismiss it either, chances are those voices can hear -and maybe see- everything that you’re doing. Thanks to a new technology offered by Oovoo.com, kids now have free access to a live video chat party line. Initially designed for virtual meetings in the business world, Oovoo decided to provide open access to the live chat service.
Since then, the service has blurred the lines between video conferencing software, and social networking. You don’t need an Oovoo account to use the service, as friends can invite you to join their virtual chatroom at any time. Its as simple as clicking a link. We must admit, the technology is cool, and potentially useful. But similar to facebook friend requests, most teen recipients are highly likely to accept these invitations, whether they know the sender or not.
It also raises some issues that parents need to give some thought to. To begin with, Oovoo requires you to have an active video camera and microphone on your computer to join the chat. This means that while engaged, your teen’s computer is broadcasting a live feed from your home, to the world wide web. A potentially diverse group of recipients can therefore see and hear anything that falls within the range of the computer. So think twice before barging into your kids room while sporting those curlers, and definitely choose your words wisely when within range of their laptops. (If your child is using earphones, you may mistakenly think that they’re on the phone, meanwhile the computer microphone and camera are catching everything in range.)
Secondly, Oovoo can be abused in ways similar to those common to other social networking sites. It provides another dimension for cyber-bullying and virtual harassment. It also incorporates new avenues for peer pressure and provides an opportunity for momentary indiscretions to turn into life long saga’s – that’s right, its easy for anyone watching or listening to record the full content of what is being transmitted from your kids computer. A little “show and tell” can quickly make your little teenie the most talked about kid in town.
No need to fear this new technology, but parents should certainly take the opportunity to discuss the ways in which it should be used. An ounce of prevention on your part can ensure years of clean, harmless, high-tech fun for your teen.
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“Credit Carding” It’s Not What You Think!
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A cloud of laughter erupts from a bustling school hallway as a small pack of arrogant boys bounce triumphantly through the crowd. The female students stand covering their mouths, all looking sheepishly towards one little red-faced girl. “Katie got Carded!” booms a jaunting voice as the the girl scampers into a nearby classroom. If you’re over twenty-five, you probably haven’t heard the term. But if you’re in high school or junior school today, if you cruise the younger social networking sites or flip avidly through youtube videos, you’re bound to dread the day someone pulls the stunt on you.
“Credit Carding” is the act of inserting your bladed hand between the legs of an unsuspecting victim, then swiping up across the genitals or through the cheeks. The term first appeared in the Urban Dictionary back in 2006. Since then, its become popular for teens to not only “card” fellow students in public, but to record the act, and post the embarrassing video on the internet. A search on youtube or myspace will reveal dozens of videos with guys “carding” girls, girls “carding” guys and both sexes carding each other. With just a moment’s worth of research, you’ll find instructional videos, and even mockumentaries, desribing the “social-phenomenon” of Credit Carding.
For many, the act is just child’s play -the equivalent of having your pants pulled down in front of others. But for some, the act of being “carded” is more serious. The unsuspecting victim can feel horribly degraded, violated and embarrassed in front of their peers.
For the actor of this little prank, the consequences can be more severe as well. In most states, making non-consentual contact with another person’s private areas falls clearly within the realm of an assault. The fact that the victim is clothed at the time makes no difference, nor does the fact that the actor thought he was playing a prank.
The most important thing for parents to do, is to talk about this issue with your kids. Make sure that they know how to react if someone touches them in an inappropriate way. Laughing about it is not appropriate, nor is ignoring it. Mom and dad need to be made aware of it. Kids who express little or no reservations about making unwanted contact with another kid’s genitals are displaying anti-social symptoms that need to be addressed. Kids who are victimized by acts like this need to have the opportunity to express themselves, and be given the opportunity to regain their sense of self.
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To Sip or Not To Sip
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The question of whether or not to let your children sip the bubbly on New Years is one of those parenting dilemmas that seems to defy time. A kissing cousin of this issue lies in the debate of whether to allow a teen to sip wine at dinner, or share a beer with dad on Sunday. Lucky for us, parents aren’t the only ones that have considered these issues. Quite a bit of research has actually been done on this matter, and the findings may surprise you.
In most states, it is perfectly legal for a parent to provide small amounts of alcohol to their own child. A sip here or there hardly seems immoral, and the physical danger of such small amounts is very low. Some parents believe that exposing their kids to alcohol under such supervised conditions actually serves as a training opportunity. The hope is that the experience removes some of the mysticism of alcohol, and teaches children to use it in moderation. “Not so fast!“, say substance abuse professionals.
John Lieberman is the director of operations for Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers, two of California’s prominent teen treatment facilities. In a recent interview with the Marietta Daily Journal, Lieberman dispelled the confusion on this subject. In his decades of experience, Lieberman said, “I have yet to hear a kid say, ‘I was 25 years old when I took my first drink – because my parents didn’t let me drink – and then I became an alcoholic.” The notion that “if we do this at home, my child will be able to handle it better” he said, “is mistaken.”
And he’s not the only one to think so. Two of the nations foremost authorities on substance abuse are the federal government’s Center for Disease Control and Columbia University’s Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Both of these agencies have compiled volumes of research on teen addictions, and both of them have found that the earlier a teen is introduced to alcohol, the more likely they are to develop substance abuse problems. In fact, for each year that a child remains alcohol free, their chances of ever engaging in underage drinking, or even adult abusive drinking patterns, decreases substantially.
In a paradoxical gesture, parents who try to dispel their children’s “curiosity” regarding alcohol, may actually contribute to abusive drinking patterns. And this is where that sip of bubbly becomes significant. A taste of wine at church is much different than the sampling of alcohol taken at a family gathering or celebration. In the latter, the alcohol becomes an accessory to social celebration. When a parent says “It’s OK here.”, or “It’s OK when you’re with me.”, the message becomes confusing. In the inevitable adolescent rationalization that follows, alcohol use becomes safe and acceptable -so long as you can get away with it. Today’s novelty quickly becomes tomorrow’s tool.
When it comes to alcohol, younger is never better. In the 80′s, decades of research on this subject resulted in the raising of America’s minimum drinking age to 21. Most of the world’s civilized societies have followed suite. Even the wine loving European countries have come around. Last year, for example, France raised their minimum drinking age from 16 to 18.
The idea that parents can cause abusive drinking patterns by taking a hard stance on alcohol, has long been proven false. In fact, repetitive studies have shown that the stronger and more directly a parent opposes alcohol use, the less likely their children are to become underage drinkers, engage in binge drinking, and progress to alcoholism.
The best thing a parent can do, say’s Lieberman, is to prolong their children’s abstinence from alcohol. The longer they hold it off, the better chance their children have. “At an older age, when someone does decide to drink, their brain is at a different place than when they were 15 or 16. A 15-year-old doesn’t have the same grasp of potential consequences.” Rather than try to make them feel comfortable with alcohol use, it’s far better to send a firm and clear message, one that is consistent with the law, and in the best interests of their long-term health. The notion that alcohol is not an indispensable accessory to celebration, could be one of the best life lessons you give your child. So pour the sparkling apple cider instead. It’s all the look and fun, with none of the worry.
For more information on Alcohol and underage drinking, take the MpoweredParent Alcohol Tutorial.
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Do You Know Molly?
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“Molly” is a club drug that has gotten a lot of attention lately. It first hit the scene around 2001, but until recently hadn’t made too much of a splash in the huge pool of illicit drugs. Now, Molly is making appearances at most rave clubs and college dorm parties. Local officials are seeing the drug in various high school populations as well. Its real name is Trifluoromethylphenyl piperazine or TFMPP, and it is a potent central nervous system stimulant, with effects similar to those of Ecstasy.
When Molly first appeared on the scene, it was immediately identified as an extremely dangerous threat. It splashed onto the Western Coast of the United States, and within months, spread as far away as Michigan. In September of 2002, the Drug Enforcement Administration pursued Emergency Schedule I Status for the drug. This prohibits any use or possession of the substance on American soil, and advertises its high potential for abuse.
Like most stimulants, the effects of Molly include increased blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. Higher doses produce hallucinogenic effects. The high is described as a euphoric state with elevated mood and a “oneness” with the environment. Effects last for approximately 30 minutes per dose. Overdose causes central nervous system overload, leading to irregular heart beat, fatally high body temperatures and cardiac arrest. Brain injury can occur after a single use, with prolonged users reporting substantial cognitive impairment. This is in stark contrast to the reputation often given to the drug by its promoters on the internet. Molly, and other club drugs like GHB, Ecstasy, and Ketamine, are frequently billed as harmless feel-good substances. In actuality, they have each racked up an impressive death toll in the United States.
Molly can be purchased on the street, or it can be ordered over the internet. It ships as a small gelatin capsule containing an off-white powder. Its use may be diagnosed by following the “stimulant” pattern of physiological symptoms, or by using an over the counter drug test.
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