State agency seeks to educate parents about smoke shops, paraphernalia

Bobbi Brooks with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's Watch UR BAC alcohol and drug awareness program says anyone who's concerned about the new Planet K head shop coming to town should know that there are plenty of other similar businesses already here.

"There are smoke shops all over town," said Brooks. "And I stopped at a convenience store across from a high school this morning, and there was drug paraphernalia there too."

Brooks says she wants to be clear: she and others in the Watch UR BAC program know that these stores aren't doing anything illegal. They have permits to sell these items, and the public has every right to buy them.

It's what the purchaser does with the item that has Brooks worried.

"All these stores are going to say 'for tobacco,'" said Brooks, "and the things they're selling aren't illegal until they have drug residue on them."

Brooks says her goal isn't to stop these businesses from being in the community but simply to make parents and schools aware of the access that young people and drivers have to items often associated with illegal drug use.

"You can't stop what you don't know," said Brooks. "Our goal is to educate."

For the full conversation, see the video player above.