With all the drugs on the streets and the easy access teens have to narcotics these days, local experts said it's more important than ever for parents to take an active role in teaching kids the dangers of illegal drugs.

Trumbull County Coroner Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk said parents can no longer sit back and say it won't happen to "my child."

"Basically it doesn't matter what you are doing in school. The drug problem, the drug overdoses, can strike kids who have a D-average and you can also find an A+ honor student with a drug problem," Germaniuk said.

And drug agents said, more often than not, they are finding juveniles, often from the suburbs, in the drug houses when they conduct raids.

Health and law enforcement officials said parents need to be looking in their child's room and monitor who they hang out with.

"Some of the first things parents should look for is any change in behavior," Germaniuk said. "If a normally good student's work starts to drop, they may have a drug problem."

Some parents may have been relying on the schools and local police to talk to their children about drugs, but due to financial constraints, many local communities have had to cut drug education programs such as DARE.

It's been ten years since Warren City's DARE program has been in operation.

However, with the huge increase of drugs moving to the suburbs, some local communities like Vienna Township felt the need to bring the DARE program back.

"I think working with the junior high kids helps them get to know the officer, and that helps the program and with curbing the use of drugs," said Vienna Township Trustee Jeff Dreves.

The Vienna DARE program started earlier this month, and the township's part-time officer Michael Edwards will now be in the schools at least once a month speaking to students about narcotics.

Canfield police are warning residents not to let their guards down.

While they arrested five people they believe broke in to 12 cars and a home last month, investigators said even though the alleged gang of thieves is off the streets, anyone can still be a victim.

"I can't stress enough don't make yourself a victim," said Det. Brian McGivern.

The suspects told police they targeted cars with unlocked doors.

Police said use common sense and lock your car doors no matter where it's parked.

For break-ins that reach beyond the car and into the home, they have different advice.

Right now in Boardman, police are trying to solve more than 20 home invasions. All occurred in the middle of the day and when no one was home.

"The best thing you could do is have an alarm system with an external speaker on your home," said Boardman detective Sgt. Glen Riddle. "So that if someone does enter that's not authorized to be in there at least the neighbors will hear the sirens go off."

Tony Ramunno, the owner of Allied Locksmiths in Youngstown, also recommends reinforcing your doors.

"You want a good deadlock that has a one-inch throw," he said. "That has a strike plate with the screws that go into the 2 by 4 behind the board."

And for another line of defense, it doesn't hurt to lock your valuables in a safe.

Two men were shot on Youngstown's south side late Thursday, but won't tell police much about what happened.

Officers responded to reports of gunshots in the West Delason Avenue area about 9:20 p.m. Thursday. They found Glen Martin, 52, of 168 W. Warren Ave., in the doorway of a home bleeding from wounds to his leg and thigh.

Martin told officers he did not know where he was when he got shot, according to reports. Police followed a blood trail to another room on the first floor and said it looked as though Martin was sitting on a couch when he was shot.

Across the street, Mareese Sanders, 21, told police he was walking when heard shots and felt pain in his foot.

Both men told police they did not see anyone with a gun.

A western Pennsylvania woman has been ordered to stand trial on charges she passed a drug-filled balloon to a state prison inmate while kissing him.

State police say guards at the State Correctional Institution-Mercer became suspicious when inmate Otis McKinzie appeared to swallow something after a prolonged kiss with a visitor on Oct. 19.

When McKinzie wouldn't tell guards what he swallowed, they put him in a cell where they could monitor his bathroom visits and found a balloon filled with marijuana three days later.

Police charged McKinzie, and the woman, Michele Jordan, of Farrell, with conspiracy to smuggle contraband and other charges. Both are 41 years old.

A district judge ordered them to stand trial at a hearing on Monday.