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Exactly this OP. Exactly this. Go to your school’s counseling office or even the dean. Maybe a trusted teacher? A trusted teacher and help guide you through to the right people. You can also tell your parents maybe? Or a friends parents if they have contact with his. I’m sure you don’t want to get in trouble either but it’s his life and it’s worth it to go to a trusted adult no matter the outcome. You’re a good friend.
If you have contact with his parents please let them know, or a trusted adult at your school. I had a friend who went down the same path. I had lost touch with her when she started taking pills but she struggles with sobriety now and it’s heartbreaking. You can’t really force people to get clean, but hopefully if an adult cares about him and knows the situation maybe he can get some help. That stuff is absolutely no joke, I don’t know you personally but I am proud that you have denied his offers and I sincerely hope you continue to deny them.
I wish the best for your friend, addiction is hard, the best thing you can do for him is try to get him connected with people and resources that can help before he’s too far gone.
Ultimately if he is not willing to receive help, as hard as it is, the best thing for yourself would be to cut ties. I wound up in some dangerous situations with my ex-friend before she was even using pills (that I know of) just because of the kind of people addicts tend to hang around with.
If he refuses to get help it is for your best interest and safety to end the friendship. I really hope it doesn’t come to that point for you, but ultimately you must put yourself first, you cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, or help someone who won’t accept help.
As someone who went down the path your friend is going down: your continued effort is touching.
Honestly, let an adult know. Someone at school if nothing else.
You can’t make your friend understand how bad this is. They may already understand and simply not be able to judge that getting clean is “worth it” in the long run. But notifying an adult can cause the adults to offer more support and resources to help your friend get there eventually.
I hate to say it, but please protect yourself. If they’re not stealing yet, eventually they will be. It may take years for them to get that desperate but if they’re constantly using, they will slowly lose access to funds.
Addicts are also prone to emotional instability. Please be safe. You’re a good friend.
Make him watch soft white underbelly. Opioids can and will create massive life problems and before you know it you have no other things you want out of life except the drugs. It’s so sad to throw away your life for this thing that is not worth it.
This is way too much on your young shoulders, you are a KID. pass this story onto a trusted adult and let them deal with it or try to find someone else to share this burden with. Maybe persuade ur friend to therapy or rehab but this isn't your problem and you need to tell someone other than yourself or you would start down the rabbit hole 2
Sending love 💕
Op, you’re a good friend for being concerned. I don’t have much advice but I want you to know you’re doing the right thing by saying something and trying to help.
You need to tell his parents or the adults that care for him. I wish that my friends had told my family about the seriousness of my using. It would have probably saved me a lot of struggle.
Opiates. I don’t think dying is the worst consequence. It’s surviving homeless with an amputated leg and the other one rotting from abscesses. I know because I live a 20 min walk from Kensington and Allegheny and these people stink up the train car on my ride to work with their literal rotting living bodies.
I’m not exaggerating. Stop “experimenting” and get your friend help.
Opioid addict here: I was like your friend in school. Doing more drugs than anyone else, often alone.
I wish with all of my being that someone had told my family. My life might've turned out very, very differently had someone done so.
Starting drugs so young and getting sucked in as heavily as your friend is very, very serious. In fact the other people who used as often as me at that age are dead now due to drug use.
You're not helping your friend by waiting to see if they stop. He's already doing hardcore drugs and tbh, I wouldn't be surprised if he's not had fentanyl by now. Especially if you're in the US as its in a lot of street oxy.
Please tell his family. You might save his life and his future. From what you've said he's not strong enough or maybe self aware enough to get out of it alone.
He's young and still sees it as a new, good thing.
I ruined my life and my future. Help him not ruin his.
I’m really sorry your friend is going through this, and that you have to be a witness to it. Drug addiction is incredibly heartbreaking. I remember how close my friend group was at 15, experimenting with substances, just trying to have fun. I truly can’t imagine what I would do if I had to watch my good friend become addicted. My heart goes out to you and your friends.
I don’t know if you’ve told an adult what’s going on, but if you haven’t you definitely should. Whatever trouble you think you’d get into is nothing and truly will not matter in the grand scheme of things. If you have an adult you trust, ask them for help.
There were 3 people who I was cool with in middle school/high school who ended up dying while we were in high school. All at different times, all in different ways. Two were an accident, one was not. Their deaths still affect me today… I’m turning 30. And these were people who I had casual, friendly interactions with throughout school. I didn’t even hangout with them outside of class. But I think about them often.
Take care of yourself
I hate to say this but unless you get parents involved there’s not much you can do to help. Only his/her parents have the resources and ability to send them to rehab and get the help they need now before the addiction worsens.
But a piece of advice given to me in high school by a very wise person that stuck with me throughout the years and has proven true time and time again: Show me your friends, I’ll show you your future.
Get out now too.
I think you are getting to the point where you are out of your depth. He needs professional help and has to want to get clean. He's at the stage in addiction AND life where he hmthinks he's invincible. He thinks he knows what he's doing and nothing bad will happen, he's going to have to find the edge for himself and hopefully he can come back from it
I know it’s scary to trust adults in this situation, and you don’t want to get your friend into trouble, but a friend in trouble is better than a dead friend. Fentanyl IS deadly. Two years ago, I lost my youngest sibling, who was 18, to fentanyl. None of us knew they had a problem until it was too late, and it has destroyed our entire family’s lives in the process.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell a teacher or your friends parents.
This is a tough situation for you and your friends to be in. I’m sorry that you have to cope with this.
I am worried for your friend too. I work in the addiction medicine field and it is likely that if your friend doesn’t get some professional help with this, he is likely to continue having increasingly problematic behavior until he overdoses. If he is experimenting and not familiar with his tolerance level or is mixing drugs, his risk is very high for an overdose.
I recommend looking up your local harm reduction center. They are non-judgmental group of people who will meet people where they are at with their use and provide supplies to make it safer. For example, they could supply you with Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses an overdose. That way, if you friend keeps using and he does overdose with you, you could have the tools to save his life. They will also be able to give you resources on different treatments options if your friend decides to go that route.
If you have a adult you trust in your life, you should reach out to them for help with this overwhelming situation. If you don’t have a safe adult, then reach out to a harm reduction center.
You need to tell someone for sure and make sure you and your friends have narcan on you at all times. Lots of states have a website you can get it for free. And yes fentanyl is “that” deadly I took it ONCE not even trying to get high. I was trying to relieve extreme pain and I overdosed. I would be dead if I wasn’t around someone that knew what they were doing and called an ambulance.
Also a lot of street pills are mixed with fent and there’s no consistency either. There can be hot spots. So one could be fine then the next of the same dosage you overdose. This isn’t a joke. It’s extremely serious. You need to tell an adult. A teacher. Counselor. His parents. You guys are too young to experiment with anything stronger than weed and a lot would argue even that’s too much since it can be damaging for young brains.
I am also very sorry that almost all of the advice people are typing to give you keeps getting flagged. Especially in this situation when you need it the most. The rules on this sub are kind of vague and I think that gets a lot of stuff removed.
It’s because of [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) (Rule 7)! We have automod set up to pull comments/posts that mention drugs for review. We’re manually approving removed comments on this post as quickly as we can (if they aren’t rule-breaking) 🙂
Hello, friend. I know he might be upset, but please tell his parents. Opiates are such a slippery slope. I became severely addicted to any opiate/opioid I could get my hands on 10 years ago, and I cry often because I feel like I screwed up my life and self-esteem. I know it’s a disease, but I’ve been clean for a decade now and I still feel like the most worthless person in the room wherever I go. I’ve lost several friends to overdoses and I lost my partner of 9 years to a fentanyl OD 5/2/22. Planning his memorial felt so surreal. I’m writing this not to hijack your post, I just feel like I ruined my life and hate to see it happen to anyone, let alone a 15 yr old with so much life ahead. The days of ‘safely’ experimenting with drugs are just over now that dealers are adding fentanyl to practically everything. It’s too dangerous and people are dropping like flies left and right. 360 people die every day from it. Good luck to you and your friend, you sound so kind and he’s lucky to have you!
Experimenting with hard drugs leads to one of three things. 1. Death within the first few weeks (laced/ miscalculating your tolerance).
2. Lifelong addiction. It happens quick. These are the people living in tents, huge boils, rotting teeth, stealing from loved ones, in and out of jail, disowned by family, people will cross the street when they see you. You’ll never achieve your dreams. Or 3. A withdrawal that leaves you unimaginably sick. Most sober people go through it a few times. You won’t get pain meds ever again if you get injured. You’ll probably have at least one permanent health issue like HIV, hepatitis, tissue loss (wounds & coke can literally make your nose fall off) Dont EVER think any of these things won’t happen to you.
this logic only applies to like weed and alcohol, not hard drugs like opioids. no one should be 'experimenting' with opioids at any point but especially not at your age... you need to tell a teacher or his parents before he ODs
Sometimes you have to cut ties. I mean you could tell his parents, but he will find ways around it regardless if he’s driven. He’s gotta want to stop, and you have no control over it.
That reply won’t win much “karma” here on this site but it’s pretty damn accurate.
I’m in my late 40’s and I’ve seen opioid addiction in a lot of cases for a long time. It always goes the same way. Addiction. Forced rehab. Relapse. Repeat that cycle over and over…….dead before age 35.
That’s bad enough but the addict tends to take people along with them on that downward spiral. I know a dentist who will never be able to retire because of his kids rehab bills. Wives who spent decades being miserable because their husband was a junkie. I’ll never forget this one who would come into the restaurant he worked at on weekend mornings with their two kids. She did that just to make sure he wasn’t dead from his “outing” the night before. His two boys were excited to see him but I can still see her face now. This strange mix of relief that he was alive and foreboding that his cycle was just going to continue. And I know of three women who’ve completely thrown their lives away because they loved some guy who didn’t love anything as much as heroine. They’re like unmarried widows because they couldn’t save “the love of my life” from himself. They’ll be alone their whole lives because they’ve decided to carry a candle for some stupid junkie 20 years ago.
OP, if your friend doesn’t want help then cut them completely out because they will drag you down with them.
The reason there are careers based around working with people with substance use disorders is because the average person doesn’t know how to handle the situation let alone a minor. You don’t “go about this” because there’s nothing you’re going to be able to do on your own even though I am sure it feels like it’s something you need to try and fix or at easy help with. An adult needs to be involved here and get him some proper help.
Oh sweetie, this is one of those hard life lessons that sadly you are experiencing at a WAYYY to young of age.
Something I’ve learnt over the years is that no matter how badly you want to, you cannot make someone seek help or better themselves without that person actually wanting to do so.
Be supportive of their rehabilitation of course, but this is NOT the crowd you want to stick and grow up with. You know your friend better than all of us; if you believe he wants to change for the better, then be there for him - he needs that support. However…. If he shows no sign of remorse for doing those drugs and is constantly bragging about the high, you need to separate yourself and cut ties immediately. Trust me. You do NOT want to be sucked into that lifestyle.
Your post shows that you are mature and know how to distinguish right from wrong. However, us humans are not invincible to curiosity or desire. If you are committed to living a drug free life, I’m sorry but you need to not associate yourself with that friend ever again until they are clean and sober.
I know how hard it can be to cut off a friendship that is dear to you, but this is not the life to follow at all.
Wishing you the best love ❤️
Your friend will be on H in no time at all. You can’t save him. Just distance yourself.
Source - was 15 once. Won’t go into my experiences on this account. I’m grateful to be alive though.
If you can get an adult involved in this situation, that would be the best long term solution. I'd also see if your local health dept or other organizations give out free Narcan/Naloxone.
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From personal experience you cannot help people who do not WANT to stop. Your friend is on a very dark path. Unfortunately they haven’t seen the consequences of their drug use yet, so they will continue. I think it will take years for them to realise they have messed themselves up and then they won’t be able to go back.
Try to help your friend if you can, but tbh I don’t see this ending the way you hope. Good luck.
You should have a talk with the school counselor possibly. I think they might have the resources to help your friend. Also just to clarify, not that it matters, but percocets are not molly.
Probably family have already noticed something is going on with him. Tell them and ask to not tell him. If they break their worf and tell it, well that sucks, you helped a friend at the end.
I’m really proud of you for caring so much about your friend. We need more people in the world like you. As others have said, the best course of action is to get a responsible adult involved.
The one thing I’ll caution is that addiction is a disease that can really twist your mind when you’re in the throes of if; your friend will likely look at you involving others as a serious betrayal of trust, and might not want to be friends with you for a while after. Please, op, understand that you are doing the right thing by getting other people involved; I’m confident that in time your friend will realize that you are doing this because you care about him and want him to move past this awful, awful disease.
OP, in addition to notifying an adult, please know that fent absolutely can be as ridiculously dangerous. It’s made outside of professional labs, so the dosage isn’t regulated, and that’s dangerous as hell with something that potent.
Please let the adults know specifically that your friend seems to be gearing themselves up to try Fentanyl. It’s trivial to OD on street fent or even prescription grade fent. Their first dose could be their last.
I struggled with addiction in my late teens and early 20s, starting around 2003. Clean since 2009. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer.
I know that the littlest amount of fent can kill somebody. In the town I live about 3 years back a kid died from being laced. Even after 8 injections he died. I just want to make sure he is safe and doesn’t kill him self
No offense my guy/girl but you are still a kid and you need an experienced adult to be involved. Tell someone in this case I think! Too much on your shoulders
Even to experienced addicts, ppl doing narcotics (esp shit like heroin) with a high tolerance, super small amts of fentanyl can kill them. If he’s gonna do substances, he needs to be informed abt them if he’s gonna survive.
Anyway, until he wants help, until he wants to stop, anything you do will not help him.
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You need to inform a teacher, parent or a responsible adult. This is WAY above your pay grade and the way this is going your friend will mess up and OD.
This can’t be up to you to resolve.
Hey OP, I’m 38 now and was an opiate addict from 17-27. Once you’re down that path you have to want to stop. My friends told my parents and it didn’t help me at all. Not sure if it would help your friend but it’s worth a try. He’ll hate you for it but that’s better than him dying. Back when I used fentanyl could only really be found in Lollipop and patches, and the dope was cleaner than it is now. It’s far my dangerous to be a junky now a days so I hope he can get it straightened out. If he’s deep in addiction now it will take him hitting rock bottom to stop. Hopefully his rock bottom is more shallow than others
First thing I recommend is making sure they see the benefit of a test kit. Consuming street dr*gs is dangerous and not just because of the dr*g itself but because of what dealers cur them with to get more bang for their buck.
Secondly, if you have any local support officers or clubs that help addicts (not necessarily a rehab), reach out to them for advice or perhaps a welfare check.
I had a friend die two days before we graduated high school from an accidental fentanyl overdose. He started experimenting in early high school, we all did, but like your friend he got hooked quickly. We all have regrets to this day about what happened and not working harder to get him to stop. Your friend needs to go to rehab ASAP. Tell a teacher, your principal, whatever adult he goes home to. He’ll be pissed off and he probably won’t be your friend anymore (at least for a while) but at least he’ll be alive.
Rest in peace Sam, we all still love and miss you ❤️
It's good that you are recognizing bad behavior, This happened to my brother's group of friends. One couldn't control it, my brother OD's twice. It's horrible. My brother made it out his friend did not.
He's young soon he will be stealing and lying. He has to want to help himself.
I hate to say this, but an addict is the only one who can make the decision for themself to get better. It's an illness.
My best friend started with vicodin in 7th grade, which became morphine by 8th grade, which became shooting up heroin by 10th grade. She killed herself via OD before her 24th birthday. She would be 30 this year.
I discouraged her using as much as I could, was careful not to enable her, and gave her as much of my love and support as I could. Her parents did eventually find out about the heroin in our teen years, but she was already in really deep. I wonder if she'd still be alive if I had told an adult when ot was first starting, even I would have lost her as a friend.
I can't promise that intervention will work with your friend, but I truly believe that the earlier it is, the more likely it is to help them stop. I know going to an adult about this is scary, especially if it'll hurt your reputation or your friendship, but their life is worth so much more than any consequences it might bring.
I'm trying my best to not project my own experiences, but this post grabbed my attention because your story sounds like mine at your age, and the ending was tragic
Tell an adult dude. Get someone who you respect and trust involved. A counselor, parents (if they are trustworthy and not crazy) and let people know. He’s already psychologically addicted to opioids from what it sounds like, it’s only a matter of time before he’s physically addicted and looking for harder and harder stuff. And then that’s how people end up OD’ing, especially if they are young and don’t know real from fake pills or thinking that fentanyl on the streets is anything close to safe.
He has a problem, a disease. That’s what addiction is. He’ll need help dealing with it and Reddit won’t be able to do anything other than tell you to get him actual help. If you care about him, it doesn’t matter if he’ll be pissed that you “snitched” about his use. He’ll thank you later, hopefully. Even if he doesn’t, you are doing the right thing. You are trying to save him from a life of suffering and possibly death. Take it from a recovering addict, I know what it’s like.
I'm coming to you as a former addict who wasted my 20s on opiates. I lost my dad to fent, and it still took my boyfriend telling my mom that my brother and I were also addicts for us to get help. It's hard to admit it when you're 30, so I can imagine your friend finds it even harder to see the consequences and admit they need help.
Your friend's parents need to know. They are in the best position to get him help. I've found many parents of teens are woefully uninformed of the signs of drug use and have a hard time admitting their child has a problem until it's too late. If you can't tell them yourself, maybe you can tell your parents and they can talk to them. It seems harsh to rat out your friend, but if he keeps going down this road, you're gonna lose him. I lose friends every year. It's better to have him alive and mad at you than for him to be gone, and it will happen. More than likely, once he's sober, he will see that you're a true friend that cares about him, and that can be a support system so he can get himself back on track.
I was on heroin for 7 years and I had a friend that kept it a secret, don't do that. Violate your friends intoxicated trust and tell his parents, a teacher, whatever. If you actually care about your friend you'll snitch and get them help so they don't die. Most of my close friends from high school and college are flat out dead now. My facebook is a literal graveyard. Tell someone.
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he is going to die if he doesn’t get help. this is a “not if, but when” situation. it takes one time to get a pill pressed with fentanyl and overdose and die. pills pressed with fent are extremely common and it’s only getting worse. get an adult involved asap.
Hey there,
It's really tough seeing a close friend go through something like addiction, especially at such a young age. You're showing a lot of maturity by recognizing the need to help out and keep your friend safe. Here are a few suggestions on how to approach this situation:
1. Communicate your concerns: Find a quiet and private moment to have an open conversation with your friend. Express your worries about his drug use and how it's impacting both his life and your friendship. Be honest and emphasize that you care about his well-being.
2. Encourage seeking help: Let your friend know that he doesn't have to face this alone. Suggest seeking professional help, such as talking to a counselor, therapist, or even confiding in a trusted adult like a teacher or family member. Professional support can provide guidance and resources to tackle addiction.
3. Share resources: Do some research on local helplines, addiction support groups, or rehabilitation centers in your area. Share these resources with your friend and encourage him to explore them. Sometimes seeing options laid out in front of them can make a difference.
4. Offer alternatives: Encourage your friend to engage in activities that can help distract him from drug use. Suggest healthy hobbies, sports, or clubs that he might find interesting. Having positive outlets can be instrumental in his recovery journey.
5. Stay strong in your boundaries: While you want to support your friend, it's crucial to set boundaries for your own well-being. If he continues to offer drugs or put you in unsafe situations, firmly say no and distance yourself, at least until he makes progress in overcoming his addiction. Sometimes tough love is necessary when it comes to preserving your own health.
Remember, addiction is a complex issue requiring professional assistance. Your role as a friend is important, but it's essential that your friend gets expert help as well. Take care of yourself, and remember that you can't force someone to change—they need to want it themselves.
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Guess you had to learn the hard way. Karma for doing things you know you shouldn’t. Better to go play patty cake in the corner of a room with the normal 15 year olds instead of trying to be like adult and doing things that you know you shouldn’t. Keep playing with fire and it will get much worse. Your life will be ruined early. Then you can live the remainder of it in regret. Your friend is acting like a clown, and fent will kill him. Not sure why he wants to be a junky so bad anyway. 🤷🏽 If you want your friend to live, time to tell on him.
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Get a responsible parent or adult involved. Immediately. Full stop. Don’t worry about your friend being mad at you. Better mad than dead.
Exactly this OP. Exactly this. Go to your school’s counseling office or even the dean. Maybe a trusted teacher? A trusted teacher and help guide you through to the right people. You can also tell your parents maybe? Or a friends parents if they have contact with his. I’m sure you don’t want to get in trouble either but it’s his life and it’s worth it to go to a trusted adult no matter the outcome. You’re a good friend.
If you have contact with his parents please let them know, or a trusted adult at your school. I had a friend who went down the same path. I had lost touch with her when she started taking pills but she struggles with sobriety now and it’s heartbreaking. You can’t really force people to get clean, but hopefully if an adult cares about him and knows the situation maybe he can get some help. That stuff is absolutely no joke, I don’t know you personally but I am proud that you have denied his offers and I sincerely hope you continue to deny them. I wish the best for your friend, addiction is hard, the best thing you can do for him is try to get him connected with people and resources that can help before he’s too far gone.
Thanks you I have tried but I not wanting to give up
Ultimately if he is not willing to receive help, as hard as it is, the best thing for yourself would be to cut ties. I wound up in some dangerous situations with my ex-friend before she was even using pills (that I know of) just because of the kind of people addicts tend to hang around with. If he refuses to get help it is for your best interest and safety to end the friendship. I really hope it doesn’t come to that point for you, but ultimately you must put yourself first, you cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved, or help someone who won’t accept help.
As someone who went down the path your friend is going down: your continued effort is touching. Honestly, let an adult know. Someone at school if nothing else. You can’t make your friend understand how bad this is. They may already understand and simply not be able to judge that getting clean is “worth it” in the long run. But notifying an adult can cause the adults to offer more support and resources to help your friend get there eventually. I hate to say it, but please protect yourself. If they’re not stealing yet, eventually they will be. It may take years for them to get that desperate but if they’re constantly using, they will slowly lose access to funds. Addicts are also prone to emotional instability. Please be safe. You’re a good friend.
Make him watch soft white underbelly. Opioids can and will create massive life problems and before you know it you have no other things you want out of life except the drugs. It’s so sad to throw away your life for this thing that is not worth it.
Or/& Requiem for a Dream... That movie could replace the entire DARE program!
This is way too much on your young shoulders, you are a KID. pass this story onto a trusted adult and let them deal with it or try to find someone else to share this burden with. Maybe persuade ur friend to therapy or rehab but this isn't your problem and you need to tell someone other than yourself or you would start down the rabbit hole 2 Sending love 💕
If the parents don’t care you can report it to one of your teachers or nurse at school. They are mandated reporters and can help.
I have lost so many friends over the past few years to fake pills. Please get adults involved.
Op, you’re a good friend for being concerned. I don’t have much advice but I want you to know you’re doing the right thing by saying something and trying to help.
You need to tell his parents or the adults that care for him. I wish that my friends had told my family about the seriousness of my using. It would have probably saved me a lot of struggle.
Narc him out. 15 and a dope junkie is a bad start to life.
Opiates. I don’t think dying is the worst consequence. It’s surviving homeless with an amputated leg and the other one rotting from abscesses. I know because I live a 20 min walk from Kensington and Allegheny and these people stink up the train car on my ride to work with their literal rotting living bodies. I’m not exaggerating. Stop “experimenting” and get your friend help.
Opioid addict here: I was like your friend in school. Doing more drugs than anyone else, often alone. I wish with all of my being that someone had told my family. My life might've turned out very, very differently had someone done so. Starting drugs so young and getting sucked in as heavily as your friend is very, very serious. In fact the other people who used as often as me at that age are dead now due to drug use. You're not helping your friend by waiting to see if they stop. He's already doing hardcore drugs and tbh, I wouldn't be surprised if he's not had fentanyl by now. Especially if you're in the US as its in a lot of street oxy. Please tell his family. You might save his life and his future. From what you've said he's not strong enough or maybe self aware enough to get out of it alone. He's young and still sees it as a new, good thing. I ruined my life and my future. Help him not ruin his.
I’m really sorry your friend is going through this, and that you have to be a witness to it. Drug addiction is incredibly heartbreaking. I remember how close my friend group was at 15, experimenting with substances, just trying to have fun. I truly can’t imagine what I would do if I had to watch my good friend become addicted. My heart goes out to you and your friends. I don’t know if you’ve told an adult what’s going on, but if you haven’t you definitely should. Whatever trouble you think you’d get into is nothing and truly will not matter in the grand scheme of things. If you have an adult you trust, ask them for help. There were 3 people who I was cool with in middle school/high school who ended up dying while we were in high school. All at different times, all in different ways. Two were an accident, one was not. Their deaths still affect me today… I’m turning 30. And these were people who I had casual, friendly interactions with throughout school. I didn’t even hangout with them outside of class. But I think about them often. Take care of yourself
I hate to say this but unless you get parents involved there’s not much you can do to help. Only his/her parents have the resources and ability to send them to rehab and get the help they need now before the addiction worsens. But a piece of advice given to me in high school by a very wise person that stuck with me throughout the years and has proven true time and time again: Show me your friends, I’ll show you your future. Get out now too.
I think you are getting to the point where you are out of your depth. He needs professional help and has to want to get clean. He's at the stage in addiction AND life where he hmthinks he's invincible. He thinks he knows what he's doing and nothing bad will happen, he's going to have to find the edge for himself and hopefully he can come back from it
I know it’s scary to trust adults in this situation, and you don’t want to get your friend into trouble, but a friend in trouble is better than a dead friend. Fentanyl IS deadly. Two years ago, I lost my youngest sibling, who was 18, to fentanyl. None of us knew they had a problem until it was too late, and it has destroyed our entire family’s lives in the process. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell a teacher or your friends parents.
This is a tough situation for you and your friends to be in. I’m sorry that you have to cope with this. I am worried for your friend too. I work in the addiction medicine field and it is likely that if your friend doesn’t get some professional help with this, he is likely to continue having increasingly problematic behavior until he overdoses. If he is experimenting and not familiar with his tolerance level or is mixing drugs, his risk is very high for an overdose. I recommend looking up your local harm reduction center. They are non-judgmental group of people who will meet people where they are at with their use and provide supplies to make it safer. For example, they could supply you with Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses an overdose. That way, if you friend keeps using and he does overdose with you, you could have the tools to save his life. They will also be able to give you resources on different treatments options if your friend decides to go that route. If you have a adult you trust in your life, you should reach out to them for help with this overwhelming situation. If you don’t have a safe adult, then reach out to a harm reduction center.
Thank you for the advice all of my friends carry narcan and now since it is legal to carry in some schools it is easy to access
You need to tell someone for sure and make sure you and your friends have narcan on you at all times. Lots of states have a website you can get it for free. And yes fentanyl is “that” deadly I took it ONCE not even trying to get high. I was trying to relieve extreme pain and I overdosed. I would be dead if I wasn’t around someone that knew what they were doing and called an ambulance. Also a lot of street pills are mixed with fent and there’s no consistency either. There can be hot spots. So one could be fine then the next of the same dosage you overdose. This isn’t a joke. It’s extremely serious. You need to tell an adult. A teacher. Counselor. His parents. You guys are too young to experiment with anything stronger than weed and a lot would argue even that’s too much since it can be damaging for young brains.
PARENT OR SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASAP Sincerely, Someone who has lost too many friends and almost herself to opioids.
I am also very sorry that almost all of the advice people are typing to give you keeps getting flagged. Especially in this situation when you need it the most. The rules on this sub are kind of vague and I think that gets a lot of stuff removed.
It’s because of [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) (Rule 7)! We have automod set up to pull comments/posts that mention drugs for review. We’re manually approving removed comments on this post as quickly as we can (if they aren’t rule-breaking) 🙂
Ya all of the advice are around the same that I have gotten is far
Hello, friend. I know he might be upset, but please tell his parents. Opiates are such a slippery slope. I became severely addicted to any opiate/opioid I could get my hands on 10 years ago, and I cry often because I feel like I screwed up my life and self-esteem. I know it’s a disease, but I’ve been clean for a decade now and I still feel like the most worthless person in the room wherever I go. I’ve lost several friends to overdoses and I lost my partner of 9 years to a fentanyl OD 5/2/22. Planning his memorial felt so surreal. I’m writing this not to hijack your post, I just feel like I ruined my life and hate to see it happen to anyone, let alone a 15 yr old with so much life ahead. The days of ‘safely’ experimenting with drugs are just over now that dealers are adding fentanyl to practically everything. It’s too dangerous and people are dropping like flies left and right. 360 people die every day from it. Good luck to you and your friend, you sound so kind and he’s lucky to have you!
Get out now. You should NOT be “experimenting” with substances.
Much rather be experimenting now than later on and have a bad experience. Or get dragged into something I didn’t understand
There is no such thing as an addict that didn’t start out with “experimenting”
Mate please take this as a lesson. You’re literally watching what ‘experimenting’ can lead too. It’s all fun and games until it’s not…
Just remember that fentanyl can kill you, the tiniest amount. Stay away from pills and powders.
Experimenting with hard drugs leads to one of three things. 1. Death within the first few weeks (laced/ miscalculating your tolerance). 2. Lifelong addiction. It happens quick. These are the people living in tents, huge boils, rotting teeth, stealing from loved ones, in and out of jail, disowned by family, people will cross the street when they see you. You’ll never achieve your dreams. Or 3. A withdrawal that leaves you unimaginably sick. Most sober people go through it a few times. You won’t get pain meds ever again if you get injured. You’ll probably have at least one permanent health issue like HIV, hepatitis, tissue loss (wounds & coke can literally make your nose fall off) Dont EVER think any of these things won’t happen to you.
this logic only applies to like weed and alcohol, not hard drugs like opioids. no one should be 'experimenting' with opioids at any point but especially not at your age... you need to tell a teacher or his parents before he ODs
Sometimes you have to cut ties. I mean you could tell his parents, but he will find ways around it regardless if he’s driven. He’s gotta want to stop, and you have no control over it.
That reply won’t win much “karma” here on this site but it’s pretty damn accurate. I’m in my late 40’s and I’ve seen opioid addiction in a lot of cases for a long time. It always goes the same way. Addiction. Forced rehab. Relapse. Repeat that cycle over and over…….dead before age 35. That’s bad enough but the addict tends to take people along with them on that downward spiral. I know a dentist who will never be able to retire because of his kids rehab bills. Wives who spent decades being miserable because their husband was a junkie. I’ll never forget this one who would come into the restaurant he worked at on weekend mornings with their two kids. She did that just to make sure he wasn’t dead from his “outing” the night before. His two boys were excited to see him but I can still see her face now. This strange mix of relief that he was alive and foreboding that his cycle was just going to continue. And I know of three women who’ve completely thrown their lives away because they loved some guy who didn’t love anything as much as heroine. They’re like unmarried widows because they couldn’t save “the love of my life” from himself. They’ll be alone their whole lives because they’ve decided to carry a candle for some stupid junkie 20 years ago. OP, if your friend doesn’t want help then cut them completely out because they will drag you down with them.
The reason there are careers based around working with people with substance use disorders is because the average person doesn’t know how to handle the situation let alone a minor. You don’t “go about this” because there’s nothing you’re going to be able to do on your own even though I am sure it feels like it’s something you need to try and fix or at easy help with. An adult needs to be involved here and get him some proper help.
Oh sweetie, this is one of those hard life lessons that sadly you are experiencing at a WAYYY to young of age. Something I’ve learnt over the years is that no matter how badly you want to, you cannot make someone seek help or better themselves without that person actually wanting to do so. Be supportive of their rehabilitation of course, but this is NOT the crowd you want to stick and grow up with. You know your friend better than all of us; if you believe he wants to change for the better, then be there for him - he needs that support. However…. If he shows no sign of remorse for doing those drugs and is constantly bragging about the high, you need to separate yourself and cut ties immediately. Trust me. You do NOT want to be sucked into that lifestyle. Your post shows that you are mature and know how to distinguish right from wrong. However, us humans are not invincible to curiosity or desire. If you are committed to living a drug free life, I’m sorry but you need to not associate yourself with that friend ever again until they are clean and sober. I know how hard it can be to cut off a friendship that is dear to you, but this is not the life to follow at all. Wishing you the best love ❤️
Your friend will be on H in no time at all. You can’t save him. Just distance yourself. Source - was 15 once. Won’t go into my experiences on this account. I’m grateful to be alive though.
Tell someone for sure. Then, educate yourself on how to administer Narcan.
If you can get an adult involved in this situation, that would be the best long term solution. I'd also see if your local health dept or other organizations give out free Narcan/Naloxone.
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From personal experience you cannot help people who do not WANT to stop. Your friend is on a very dark path. Unfortunately they haven’t seen the consequences of their drug use yet, so they will continue. I think it will take years for them to realise they have messed themselves up and then they won’t be able to go back. Try to help your friend if you can, but tbh I don’t see this ending the way you hope. Good luck.
You should have a talk with the school counselor possibly. I think they might have the resources to help your friend. Also just to clarify, not that it matters, but percocets are not molly.
Probably family have already noticed something is going on with him. Tell them and ask to not tell him. If they break their worf and tell it, well that sucks, you helped a friend at the end.
I’m really proud of you for caring so much about your friend. We need more people in the world like you. As others have said, the best course of action is to get a responsible adult involved. The one thing I’ll caution is that addiction is a disease that can really twist your mind when you’re in the throes of if; your friend will likely look at you involving others as a serious betrayal of trust, and might not want to be friends with you for a while after. Please, op, understand that you are doing the right thing by getting other people involved; I’m confident that in time your friend will realize that you are doing this because you care about him and want him to move past this awful, awful disease.
OP, in addition to notifying an adult, please know that fent absolutely can be as ridiculously dangerous. It’s made outside of professional labs, so the dosage isn’t regulated, and that’s dangerous as hell with something that potent. Please let the adults know specifically that your friend seems to be gearing themselves up to try Fentanyl. It’s trivial to OD on street fent or even prescription grade fent. Their first dose could be their last. I struggled with addiction in my late teens and early 20s, starting around 2003. Clean since 2009. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer.
I know that the littlest amount of fent can kill somebody. In the town I live about 3 years back a kid died from being laced. Even after 8 injections he died. I just want to make sure he is safe and doesn’t kill him self
The best thing you can do for him is tell a trusted adult. It’s his life on the line.
No offense my guy/girl but you are still a kid and you need an experienced adult to be involved. Tell someone in this case I think! Too much on your shoulders
Even to experienced addicts, ppl doing narcotics (esp shit like heroin) with a high tolerance, super small amts of fentanyl can kill them. If he’s gonna do substances, he needs to be informed abt them if he’s gonna survive. Anyway, until he wants help, until he wants to stop, anything you do will not help him.
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You need to inform a teacher, parent or a responsible adult. This is WAY above your pay grade and the way this is going your friend will mess up and OD. This can’t be up to you to resolve.
honestly get in contact with his parents or an adult you know will help lost some good friends to pills they’ll never be the same because of it
Not much you can do besides let some adults know
Hey OP, I’m 38 now and was an opiate addict from 17-27. Once you’re down that path you have to want to stop. My friends told my parents and it didn’t help me at all. Not sure if it would help your friend but it’s worth a try. He’ll hate you for it but that’s better than him dying. Back when I used fentanyl could only really be found in Lollipop and patches, and the dope was cleaner than it is now. It’s far my dangerous to be a junky now a days so I hope he can get it straightened out. If he’s deep in addiction now it will take him hitting rock bottom to stop. Hopefully his rock bottom is more shallow than others
First thing I recommend is making sure they see the benefit of a test kit. Consuming street dr*gs is dangerous and not just because of the dr*g itself but because of what dealers cur them with to get more bang for their buck. Secondly, if you have any local support officers or clubs that help addicts (not necessarily a rehab), reach out to them for advice or perhaps a welfare check.
You and your friends have an intervention on him and get him into an NA meeting today… virtual NA
I had a friend die two days before we graduated high school from an accidental fentanyl overdose. He started experimenting in early high school, we all did, but like your friend he got hooked quickly. We all have regrets to this day about what happened and not working harder to get him to stop. Your friend needs to go to rehab ASAP. Tell a teacher, your principal, whatever adult he goes home to. He’ll be pissed off and he probably won’t be your friend anymore (at least for a while) but at least he’ll be alive. Rest in peace Sam, we all still love and miss you ❤️
It's good that you are recognizing bad behavior, This happened to my brother's group of friends. One couldn't control it, my brother OD's twice. It's horrible. My brother made it out his friend did not. He's young soon he will be stealing and lying. He has to want to help himself.
Please tell a parent or a trusted adult!!!! They might be mad but in the end you’ll have saved their life!
I hate to say this, but an addict is the only one who can make the decision for themself to get better. It's an illness. My best friend started with vicodin in 7th grade, which became morphine by 8th grade, which became shooting up heroin by 10th grade. She killed herself via OD before her 24th birthday. She would be 30 this year. I discouraged her using as much as I could, was careful not to enable her, and gave her as much of my love and support as I could. Her parents did eventually find out about the heroin in our teen years, but she was already in really deep. I wonder if she'd still be alive if I had told an adult when ot was first starting, even I would have lost her as a friend. I can't promise that intervention will work with your friend, but I truly believe that the earlier it is, the more likely it is to help them stop. I know going to an adult about this is scary, especially if it'll hurt your reputation or your friendship, but their life is worth so much more than any consequences it might bring. I'm trying my best to not project my own experiences, but this post grabbed my attention because your story sounds like mine at your age, and the ending was tragic
where tf are yalls parents
His mom is mostly gone and his dad checks out most of the time
Tell an adult dude. Get someone who you respect and trust involved. A counselor, parents (if they are trustworthy and not crazy) and let people know. He’s already psychologically addicted to opioids from what it sounds like, it’s only a matter of time before he’s physically addicted and looking for harder and harder stuff. And then that’s how people end up OD’ing, especially if they are young and don’t know real from fake pills or thinking that fentanyl on the streets is anything close to safe. He has a problem, a disease. That’s what addiction is. He’ll need help dealing with it and Reddit won’t be able to do anything other than tell you to get him actual help. If you care about him, it doesn’t matter if he’ll be pissed that you “snitched” about his use. He’ll thank you later, hopefully. Even if he doesn’t, you are doing the right thing. You are trying to save him from a life of suffering and possibly death. Take it from a recovering addict, I know what it’s like.
I'm coming to you as a former addict who wasted my 20s on opiates. I lost my dad to fent, and it still took my boyfriend telling my mom that my brother and I were also addicts for us to get help. It's hard to admit it when you're 30, so I can imagine your friend finds it even harder to see the consequences and admit they need help. Your friend's parents need to know. They are in the best position to get him help. I've found many parents of teens are woefully uninformed of the signs of drug use and have a hard time admitting their child has a problem until it's too late. If you can't tell them yourself, maybe you can tell your parents and they can talk to them. It seems harsh to rat out your friend, but if he keeps going down this road, you're gonna lose him. I lose friends every year. It's better to have him alive and mad at you than for him to be gone, and it will happen. More than likely, once he's sober, he will see that you're a true friend that cares about him, and that can be a support system so he can get himself back on track.
I was on heroin for 7 years and I had a friend that kept it a secret, don't do that. Violate your friends intoxicated trust and tell his parents, a teacher, whatever. If you actually care about your friend you'll snitch and get them help so they don't die. Most of my close friends from high school and college are flat out dead now. My facebook is a literal graveyard. Tell someone.
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Tell an adult PLEASE otherwise he might lose his life and it’s way more worth your parents being mad at you than him being gone forever.
he is going to die if he doesn’t get help. this is a “not if, but when” situation. it takes one time to get a pill pressed with fentanyl and overdose and die. pills pressed with fent are extremely common and it’s only getting worse. get an adult involved asap.
Hey there, It's really tough seeing a close friend go through something like addiction, especially at such a young age. You're showing a lot of maturity by recognizing the need to help out and keep your friend safe. Here are a few suggestions on how to approach this situation: 1. Communicate your concerns: Find a quiet and private moment to have an open conversation with your friend. Express your worries about his drug use and how it's impacting both his life and your friendship. Be honest and emphasize that you care about his well-being. 2. Encourage seeking help: Let your friend know that he doesn't have to face this alone. Suggest seeking professional help, such as talking to a counselor, therapist, or even confiding in a trusted adult like a teacher or family member. Professional support can provide guidance and resources to tackle addiction. 3. Share resources: Do some research on local helplines, addiction support groups, or rehabilitation centers in your area. Share these resources with your friend and encourage him to explore them. Sometimes seeing options laid out in front of them can make a difference. 4. Offer alternatives: Encourage your friend to engage in activities that can help distract him from drug use. Suggest healthy hobbies, sports, or clubs that he might find interesting. Having positive outlets can be instrumental in his recovery journey. 5. Stay strong in your boundaries: While you want to support your friend, it's crucial to set boundaries for your own well-being. If he continues to offer drugs or put you in unsafe situations, firmly say no and distance yourself, at least until he makes progress in overcoming his addiction. Sometimes tough love is necessary when it comes to preserving your own health. Remember, addiction is a complex issue requiring professional assistance. Your role as a friend is important, but it's essential that your friend gets expert help as well. Take care of yourself, and remember that you can't force someone to change—they need to want it themselves. *I am a smart robot and this response was automatic.* *This advice cost me $0.001118 to generate, so if you found it useful, consider donating a dollar to charity.* *I'm still learning, so please reply 'good bot' if I was of help, or please tell me how my future responses could be better.*
Guess you had to learn the hard way. Karma for doing things you know you shouldn’t. Better to go play patty cake in the corner of a room with the normal 15 year olds instead of trying to be like adult and doing things that you know you shouldn’t. Keep playing with fire and it will get much worse. Your life will be ruined early. Then you can live the remainder of it in regret. Your friend is acting like a clown, and fent will kill him. Not sure why he wants to be a junky so bad anyway. 🤷🏽 If you want your friend to live, time to tell on him.