3 Things To Do When You Suspect Drug Use

This is a guest post by Nicola Smith.

Raising children can be challenging.

You may need to face a situation when your child’s friend’s behavior is making you concerned as a parent, especially when drugs and alcohol are involved.

One of the key risk factors for addiction is the environment. For children and teens, this can mean a lack of parental involvement. A breakdown in communication could create a greater risk of your children experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

So, what do you do when your children’s friends are using drugs and alcohol? What can you do when you’re worried about the well-being of your child and your child’s friends? The steps below will give you some ways to approach this situation with your child. You will need to have strategies to maintain their safety and discuss the issue with the friend’s parents or guardians effectively.

While your immediate reaction may be to forbid your child from seeing these friends who are using drugs and alcohol, it’s important to remember the importance of keeping open communication going with your child.

Know the Signs

Firstly, it’s critical that you understand the signs of drug and alcohol use so that you can offer the support your child’s friend may need in speaking with their parent or guardian and helping them.

Some of the Signs to Look out for Include:

• Changes in Behavior: Look for changes in mood, emotional stability, extreme anger or sadness, loss of coordination, or loss of inhibitions.
• Hygiene/Appearance: Look out for changes in your child’s friend’s cleanliness or physical appearance. Changes may include red eyes, a flushed face, track marks, unusual smells, or wearing long sleeves despite the warm weather.
• Secretive Behavior: Was your child’s friend previously friendly and open with you? Do they now avoid speaking to you or stop making eye contact? They could potentially be hiding something.
• Your Child’s Behavior: You may notice your child’s behavior towards their friend is different. They may be distancing themselves for unexplained reasons. Your child may know what you have been suspecting.

Effectively Communicate With Your Child

It can be tempting for your initial reaction to be immediately prohibiting your child from spending time with their friend. Instead, start by calmly explaining your concern for your child. Ensure your child knows that you are worried about them. Explain that their behavior and their friend’s behavior may be an indication to you that they could be in trouble. Make sure they know that their health and safety may be in jeopardy.

At this stage, a couple of things may happen. Your child may be relieved you voiced your concerns. Also, they may be immediately defensive and uninterested in discussing the issue further.

If your child acknowledges and agrees with your concern, talk about the best way to approach the situation. Discuss ways to keep your child’s friend safe so their parents or guardians can figure out how to move forward.

On the other hand, if your child is immediately defensive, this could be cause for concern that your child could also be involved in using drugs and alcohol. Your child most likely won’t want to feel like they are turning their back on their friends. Give your child some time to calm down.

Reiterate to them that no one is getting in trouble, but you are concerned for their welfare. Try to broach the subject again after a day or two.

Talk to the Friend’s Parent or Guardian

Don’t approach your child’s friend without talking to their parents or guardians. Imagine what it would feel like if another adult approached this kind of situation with your child before speaking with you first.

While it may be stressful to worry about how the parents may react, it’s important they understand your concerns so they can choose how they want to deal with the situation. This may be a challenging conversation, so make sure to approach it with compassion and diplomacy. Bring another adult with you if you are concerned about how they may react.

Make sure this conversation happens in person and not over the phone as you did when you first spoke to your child. Explain your concern for your child’s friend’s welfare to their parents. Ensure you put the wellbeing of their child first and foremost in the discussion, even if you have concerns about your child (they can be resolved directly between the two of you).

Finally, have a plan and some talking points ready in case you feel nervous or lose your train of thought in the heat of the moment.

With a calm and compassionate approach, you can help your child understand your concern about the dangers of drug and alcohol use. You could also be the person your child’s friend may need in helping them resolve a serious issue before more severe long-term consequences can occur.

With a keen interest in holistic health and wellness, Nicola Smith works with heart-centered female entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry, providing copy that engages to help grow their businesses. Her goal is to help women increase their impact on the world, build the business of their dreams, and inspire others to simplify their lives, pack a suitcase and book a ticket to somewhere they’ve always wanted to visit or live.