Tennis balls and teddy bears may look innocent, but they could be hiding a startling secret.
Two moms have learned a lesson about how drugs can be hidden — sometimes in plain sight — in the most unlikely of places.
Donna DeStefano has a daughter recovering from drug addiction and Karen Stout has three teenage daughters.
DEA special agent Timothy McMahon says drugs can be hidden pretty much anywhere around a kid's bedroom, like inside tennis balls and teddy bears. To prove that point, he enlisted the help of former addict, Bryan Alzate, who hid drugs around DeStefano's home.
"If we see changes in behavior — a sudden drop in grades — maybe looking around the room and seeing something can give an explanation in seeing that," McMahon told Inside Edition.
By undoing a few stitches on a stuffed animal, teens can create a hiding spot for a bag of pot. The same goes for tennis balls, as slitting a hole in the ball can be an easily accessible place to hide narcotics.
There was even more than meets the eye with a hairbrush, as sliding the head of the brush apart from the handle reveals a small opening where a bag of drugs can fit.
And drugs aren't the only dangerous substances that can be hidden, as a simple tube that looks like suntan lotion can be cover for some alcohol.
The mothers were then put to the test, instructed to find the drugs hidden in the bedrooms.
They both discovered the drugs in the teddy bear. A soda can may have looked unsuspicious, but when Stout picked it up, it rattled, prompting her to find it can be unscrewed from the top and become a place to hide contraband.
The experts caution the awareness of sneakers and shoes, where items can be hidden under the insole.
"I can't believe the normal things in your home that you think are innocent and turn out to not be innocent," Stout said.
DeStefano also runs a website that brings awareness to friends and families of drug users. For more information, click here.
Alzate, a former addict, is CEO of the United Recovery Project. Find more information here.
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