Local psychologist Dr. Sylvia Thorpe says kids as young as 9 or 10 are now getting into drinking and drugs.
She says two of the best things parents can do to keep their kids safe are to know their kids' friends, and know the warning signs of substance abuse.
She encourages parents to look up the warning signs of drinking or drug use on the internet.
A local eighth grader died Saturday morning from choking on her own vomit after a night of drinking and smoking marijuana, according to the county medical examiner.
