Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND - Parents concerned about their children abusing alcohol and illegal drugs including marijuana will have the opportunity to learn more information this Thursday.

"Officer Jermaine Galloway's workshop details current alcohol and drug trends and culture. It will open your eyes to cutting edge information that anyone who works with youth should know. Galloway is passionate about education and enforcement when it comes to substance abuse prevention. An Idaho law enforcement officer since 1997, Galloway has more than 11 years experience with underage drinking and drug use," according to a promotional release.

Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness said he has seen Galloway speak on three different occasions and that Galloway offers an insight to the up-to-date trends that law enforcement officials are seeing with the issue.

"He (Galloway) gives a good insight to the trends and what kids are doing," Rakness said, adding, "He's a down-to-earth speaker."

Rakness also said that his office is hearing of new methods area youth are devising to consume alcohol and illicit substances.

Among the new alcohol trends, Rakness said, youth are taking to-go cups, filling them with sodas and dumping out the soda. They then put alcoholic drinks in for the other half.

"Kids can walk around with a go-cup and nobody notices," Rakness said.

Rakness said one way parents can tell if their children are partaking in the practice is if they become more secretive.

Local authorities are also expecting to see a rise in marijuana use following the legalization of the drug in Colorado in 2012. Youth are also finding other methods by which to consume marijuana.

"We're starting to see a little more of the new edibles coming in, and also the new refined marijuana that you smoke out of the electronic cigarettes," Rakness said.

The strength of marijuana has increased greatly over the past few years, Rakness said.

"(It is) having a real adverse effect on people who abuse it. They'll eat edibles and won't get the full effect of it as soon as they think, so they take more. That's why they're having psychotic breakdowns and jumping off buildings and committing suicide," Rakness said.

Rakness listed a plethora of foods that are laced with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, including cookies, brownies, gummy bears and energy drinks.

Youth are also obtaining electronic cigarettes designed specifically for the consumption of cannabis.

"They're making smaller e-cigarettes specifically designed to smoke dope. You have to be extremely close. It's really hard to detect.

"So a kid in the school could have an e-cigarette and be puffing on it and you wouldn't even know it," Rakness said.

Officer Galloway will be at the Worland Middle School auditorium to discuss the dangers of drugs at alcohol and their effects on local youth from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and again the same day from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

To find out more about Officer Galloway, visit http://www.tallcopsaysstop.com.

Workshop Topics

Galloway's topics will include the following:

Current drug and alcohol environments.

Drug related e-devices.

Drug legalization and influences.

Alcohol and drug logs and terms.

Popular culture and clothing lines.

Marijuana concentrates and dabbing.

Designer drug trends.

Drugged driving.