My friends have all been smoking weed for about 3 years now but recently their habit is becoming a lot worse and it is changing who they are. My best friend is stealing every day from her own parents to pay for drugs. She doesn't seem to care and this is not like her. They are also talking about doing other drugs like magic mushrooms. My best friend even said she would try cocaine. Her parents have caught her smoking weed in the past but even they don't know how to control her. I have tried to talk to them about it so many times but they never want to listen to what I have to say. I don't know what to do now because if they start taking harder drugs I will feel so guilty for not trying hard enough to stop them. Is there anything I can do or say to make them see sense?
Sam
Hi there,
Its important for you to know that this is not your fault. You cannot stop anyone from doing anything that they want to do, even when you are trying to help them. It can be difficult to stop your friends taking drugs as they often change the way people think and react.
It is worrying that your friend is stealing and thinking about trying other drugs. Taking drugs is dangerous as they can often be mixed with other chemicals so you cant know exactly what is in them. You have done the right thing speaking to your friends about your worries. However, drugs can be addictive which means it might be difficult for your friends to stop.
Perhaps you could think about speaking to a trusted adult, like a family member or teacher. You could also talk to your friends parents as it sounds like they know about some of her drug use already. Speaking to an adult would mean that you are getting support so you are not dealing with this alone. It would also mean that someone else could try and help your friends.
You can also find out more information about drugs and supporting a friend from the Talk to Frank website. Maybe you could suggest that your friends have a look at the information too so they understand more about why you are worried.
Whatever you decide to do, ChildLine is here to support you. You can get in touch with one of our counsellors by logging on for a 1-2-1 chat or by calling 0800 11 11.
Take care, Sam.
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