Drugs - tell the parents or mind my own?

Fireflyaway

Gavin83 wrote: »

I agree with this. Recreational drug use is pretty common at this age and isn't an issue in itself. In this situation I'd stay out of it. However if she's using it as a coping mechanism then that isn't healthy and she needs help. Whether you tell her parents, speak to her yourself or encourage your daughter to is your decision, I don't think any of those options is the wrong choice.

I have to disagree. ' recreational drug use isn't an issue in itself'. How many young people have died taking some drug or another that's caused a bad reaction? How many people have been attacked, raped or got into an accident because they were high? Around 2,500 people died from drug misue in 2016.

Even weed which most of us see as harmless can have life changing effects. I once saw a lad who smoked weed and on one occasion it caused a psychotic episode. He had to be medicated so he wasn't a danger to himself or others. He was like a zombie. Went from being a uni student and football team member to sitting in his flat all day, drooling, barely able to speak.

It's a gamble. You don't know what's in whatever you are taking. You could die the first time. You might do drugs for years and suddenly take a bad batch that doesn't agree with you.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I would speak to the parents, not in a "your daughter's doing something naughty and illegal and I'm telling on you" tone, but in the context of "we're worried your daughter is struggling to cope with the bereavement and needs help." It's not uncommon to have a wobble when faced with grief.

chelseablue

My son is only 4, but if he was doing drugs when he's older I would want someone to tell me if they knew about it

DCFC79

Surely your daughter should be the one to tell the parents what the daughter is doing.

Gavin83

Just to be really clear here I don't think you should be telling the parents so they can tell her what to do and stop taking drugs, it should be so they can provide support. I think her age is somewhat irrelevant, I'd suggest telling the parents of a 40 year old in the same situation (or another relative) if they had any sort of relationship.

Fireflyaway wrote: »

I have to disagree. ' recreational drug use isn't an issue in itself'. How many young people have died taking some drug or another that's caused a bad reaction? How many people have been attacked, raped or got into an accident because they were high? Around 2,500 people died from drug misue in 2016.

Even weed which most of us see as harmless can have life changing effects. I once saw a lad who smoked weed and on one occasion it caused a psychotic episode. He had to be medicated so he wasn't a danger to himself or others. He was like a zombie. Went from being a uni student and football team member to sitting in his flat all day, drooling, barely able to speak.

It's a gamble. You don't know what's in whatever you are taking. You could die the first time. You might do drugs for years and suddenly take a bad batch that doesn't agree with you.

I don't wish to turn this into a pro/anti drug discussion so we'll just have to agree to disagree.

rach_k

Gavin83 wrote: »

Just to be really clear here I don't think you should be telling the parents so they can tell her what to do and stop taking drugs, it should be so they can provide support. I think her age is somewhat irrelevant, I'd suggest telling the parents of a 40 year old in the same situation (or another relative) if they had any sort of relationship.

Exactly what I was going to say! Although the role may change, being a parent doesn't stop when the child turns 18... or it shouldn't, IMO.

LKRDN_Morgan

No I wouldn’t tell the parents. She’s an adult who has the right to make bad decisions. If she gets a stage of wanting for help she’ll either ask for it or her parents will begin to notice something isn’t right and hopefully intervene. Until then though it’s no-one else business