LANSING, Mich. (WLKI)- Federal drug officials and a Michigan State University cybercrime expert are warning parents that illegal drug sales are increasingly being arranged through social media and smartphones.
Joseph Dixon of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Detroit office said dealers no longer rely only on street-level transactions. Instead, they can use social media platforms and private messaging to reach potential customers, including young people.
Dixon warned that drugs sold online can include marijuana, cocaine and counterfeit pills that may contain dangerous substances.
Thomas Holt, a professor and director of Michigan State University's Center for Cybercrime Investigation and Training, said online networks and platform recommendations can make illegal marketplaces easier to find. But he emphasized that a child's use of social media does not automatically mean they will be exposed to drugs.
Holt encouraged parents to have direct, age-appropriate conversations with their children about online activity, review privacy and contact settings, and watch for warning signs such as unexplained payments, secretive behavior or contacts with unfamiliar accounts.
He also urged parents to stay involved in their children's digital lives and to treat online safety as an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time rule-setting exercise.