ive gotten into drug dealing in the past 9-10 months (obviously not during lockdown) as a way to make money. It isnt due to the friends i hang around with although they all smoke weed but they say theyre concerned for my safety ive been beaten up twice so far and robbed twice by fully grown men (first £100 and second time £250). Its not like i sell meth or anything its just weed and sniff and occasionally pills but am i being irresponsible by ignoring my friends and carrying on? i dont see why theyre so bothered since they have very easy access to weed now and its not their life please help i dont want to stop because i make like £500 a week which is a lot for a 16 year old in my area but are the risks worth it??
Sam
Hi there,
Some drugs are illegal to take or to have on you. The punishments for being caught with drugs depend on what type of drug it is as some are more dangerous than others. The penalties for dealing drugs to other people are much more severe and it's something you should think carefully about.
Drugs can seem like a way to make a lot of money, but there are a lot of risks involved. One of the risks is violence. Drug dealers can often be linked to gangs and they may not like competition in their area from someone else selling drugs. Gangs and other drug dealers are often armed and a lot of stabbings and violence happen over drugs. Being beaten up and mugged is scary, but by dealing drugs you are also at risk of more violence that could even be fatal. If you’re involved with gangs and aren’t sure what to do, Childline has information and advice that could help.
Another risk is that you’re caught by the police. There are different types of drugs - class B drugs include things like weed whilst class A includes cocaine. If you’re caught carrying a class B drug you could face up to 5 years in prison. For dealing weed you can face up to 14 years. You said you sometimes deal cocaine too - this is a class A drug which can mean up to a life sentence in prison. The sentence you’d get would depend on your circumstances, but no matter what it would have a big impact on your future.
£500 a week sounds like a lot of money now, but when you think about your future career and how much you might earn, it starts to seem like it might not be worth the consequences if you get caught. You might find it more difficult to get a job if you have a criminal record and in the long run, you’ll probably lose out on money if your career is affected by your decisions now.
One final thing to think about is the risk you are putting your customers in. Drugs - especially class A drugs like cocaine - might not be what you think they are. You have to buy your drugs from someone else so you can sell them - but how do you know you can trust that person? Sometimes drugs are contaminated or cut with dangerous chemicals which can kill. If a drug you sold to someone kills that person, you could be responsible for their death in the eyes of the law.
Childline has information and advice about smoking, drugs and addiction. Ask Frank also has information about different types of drugs, the risks involved, and the law.
I hope this has helped make your decision about what to do next. If you’d like to talk to a Childline counsellor, they can keep this confidential if you want them to except in a few specific circumstances. Read Childline’s confidentiality promise for more information.
Take care.
Sam
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