Drugs and alcohol
Is a member of your family involved in selling drugs?
Selling drugs has huge consequences, not just for the seller who could end up in prison for life, but also for the people they sell the drugs to. There are no winners in this, so it's important that it stops. Drugs attract very dangerous people, so you should take action now.
Why are they doing it?
People sell drugs for lots of different reasons, but those reasons won't matter if something goes wrong and your family member ends up in prison or in hospital. There are no excuses for this illegal activity.
What can you do?
If you think you can, encourage them to talk to you, or someone else about what is going on.
Be aware that if someone is selling drugs on the street, they are already on the wrong side of the law. Your family member might not be willing to talk about it. If you feel you would be taking a risk by challenging them yourself, talk to someone else:
- another family member or other responsible adult
- a teacher at school
- someone professional at a helpline such as Talk to Frank on 0800 77 66 00 or ChildLine
Report it
Perhaps you feel you need to report it, even if you know your family member will get into trouble. It's better they get into trouble now than getting into much more serious trouble later:
- You can contact your local police station or speak to your Safer Schools Officer or Safer Neighbourhoods Team - if it's an emergency you should call 999
- If you feel unable to talk to us you could contact the Crimestoppers charity anonymously on 0800 555 111 (you won't have to give your name and your call will not be traced)
- Or for more information visit the ‘How to contact us’ page on this site
Getting more help
For more information about drugs and alcohol visit our 'Get the facts' or 'More help and advice' pages.
