"A tough challenge:" Goal of display in Waukesha is to help parents recognize signs of drug abuse
“A tough challenge:” Goal of display in Waukesha is to help parents recognize signs of drug abuse
"A tough challenge:" Goal of display in Waukesha is to help parents recognize signs of drug abuse
WAUKESHA -- The goal of a new display in Waukesha is to help parents recognize the signs of drug abuse before it's too late.
"Your Choice To Live," a non-profit drug and alcohol awareness organization put the display together.
It depicts a teenager's bedroom with "red flags" that can signal drug use.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox6now.com/www.fox6now.com/content/uploads/2020/07/932/524/doj-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Attorney General Brad Schimel says a heroin addiction can be hard to detect, especially when it comes to teenagers, because the behaviors that come along with it can be easily misidentified as regular teen behavior.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox6now.com/www.fox6now.com/content/uploads/2020/07/932/524/doj1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
"You sleep a lot more. You're more withdrawn and less talkative. You spend a lot time with the door to your room closed. Those are all things that are pretty common behaviors in an adolescent -- so this is a tough challenge," Schimel said.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox6now.com/www.fox6now.com/content/uploads/2020/07/932/524/doj2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Also part of this display is an exhibit called "Deadly Decisions," which depicts the harsh reality of the opiate epidemic many communities across the country are dealing with.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox6now.com/www.fox6now.com/content/uploads/2020/07/932/524/doj3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
It features 190 pairs of shoes -- which represent the number of overdose deaths in Waukesha County since 2012.
![](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox6now.com/www.fox6now.com/content/uploads/2020/07/932/524/doj4.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Wisconsin Department of Justice's "Dose of Reality" campaign.