Clothes on the floor, the bed roughly made, stuffed animals on top. Posters line the walls and food, various bottles and office supplies covered the desk. Tampons, sunscreen containers and other toiletries covered the “bathroom” counter.

This was the scene roughly 170 parents walked into at the “Hidden in Plain Sight” exhibit on May 18 at Inglewood Middle School.

They were tasked with scavenging for hints that this mock-up teen’s bedroom showed signs of drug- or alcohol-related behaviors.

And it wasn’t as obvious as finding a bottle of vodka or a bag of weed — these were things that appeared typical but really concealed risky behavior.

Take the stuffed animals on the bed, for example. If parents were cleaver enough to peek inside the Velcro pouch in the back, they’d find a cigar.

Or the water bottle sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. At first sight it looks normal, full of water. But if parents picked it up and pulled it apart, they’d find a secret compartment hidden by the label.

What about that peanut butter jar on the desk? From the outside it looks to be full of peanut butter, but opening it up reveals an empty container perfect for concealing drugs.

Surely the stapler is just that, a stapler. Lifting the top reveals a joint tucked inside.

Think that tampon in the bathroom is really a feminine hygiene product? Turns out it’s a container, called booze tube, that’s used to smuggle in alcohol disguised as a tampon.

And what about that sunscreen bottle? It’s possible to buy empty ones online with a little funnel, perfect for concealing alcohol.

“Some things are very sneaky,” parent Emily Lee said. “It’s good to get exposed to it all.”

Lee and her husband, Tommy, had found about 50 different items and counting that hinted at drug- and alcohol-related behavior.

Then there are culture-related items, like the posters or magazines, that should cue parents in that their child is at least associating with drugs and alcohol, though they may not be partaking.

For example, the number “420” scribbled on a backpack lets people know the student associates with marijuana.

“If parents become hip to all these tells then they’re empowered,” Inglewood Middle School Principal Tim Patterson said. “You might not like the information you have but now you can deal with it.”

And that’s the point of the “Hidden in Plain Sight” event — to empower parents with information and awareness.

The event, put on by the Sammamish Drug Free Coalition, is not the first of its kind. Previously, the event was hosted at Liberty High School in March.

Representatives from Friends of Youth, the city of Sammamish, Eastside Fire and Rescue and the Sammamish Police Department were also on site offering expertise and resources.

Sammamish Police Officer Ken E. Williams, a school resource officer at Eastlake High School, offered a presentation on current trends in youth drug and alcohol activities.

Williams encouraged parents to check in on their children and to educate them about the realities of drug and alcohol abuse.

“Kids have an expectation that their parents are going to check up on them,” Williams said. “Do it.”

Patterson reminded parents that they still have a “tremendous influence” over their children, so it’s important to let them know what’s acceptable behavior.

Additionally, he wanted to arm parents with the facts — namely, that not everyone is doing drugs. This statement is true, according to the 2016 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, which asks students in middle and high school about their exposure to and use of tobacco, marijuana and alcohol, among other things.

Patterson said that students are social creatures looking to belong to the group, so it’s important for them to know that the majority of students are not involved in drugs and alcohol.

“When you hear your kids say, ‘Everybody does drugs,’ it’s important to correct them,” Patterson said.

Patterson told parents to trust what their children tell them, but to verify it. If, for example, a child says they’re going to a friend’s, trust that they are, but call the parent on the other end to verify the story.

He also said that a common reaction to finding drugs and/or alcohol in a child’s possession is to hide the problem. Instead, Patterson encourages the parents to reach out for help. School counselors, for example, are available.

The event coincided with National Prevention Week, May 15-21, which aims to bring awareness to drug abuse.