Coming across signs of drug use in your kid's bedroom can be a heart-wrenching experience. Whether you already suspected or were taken by surprise, having concrete evidence removes all doubt that either your teen or his friends are using drugs. Here are some ideas for the next steps.
Inspect the room completely. Once you found some evidence, it is important to know exactly what you are dealing with. Check every drawer, under the dresser and bed, mattress, and closet to be sure you have all available evidence.
Research what you found. Even if you believe you know what the paraphernalia is used for, research it online to be sure. Some things, like pipes, can be used for both Marijuana and Meth.
Plan your sit-down. As tempting as it is to go into an angry rage, now is not the time. You want your teen to talk to you and hopefully open up. Decide what you will say and practice it so that by the time you talk to him, you can use a calm encouraging tone of voice and a constructive attitude.
Talk with him alone. This conversation will be stressful enough for your teen without having siblings or other family members included. For this first conversation, sit down with just him and you.
Related: Teen drugs and alcohol abuse video
Better yet, take him to lunch or dinner so that it is a public place. This greatly decreases the chance of either of your losing control and raising voices.
Tell him what you found and ask him to explain it. Let him know you want the truth, whatever the truth might be and that you will not punish him if he is honest with you. Listen. If he admits it is his, open a discussion about how long he has been using, why he does it.
Offer help. Whether he says it is a friend's or his own, offer to get him some help. If he is opposed to rehab and insists it is not a big deal, start with asking him to agree to counseling with someone experienced in substance abuse.
Go on Alert. If he refuses treatment or insists it was not his, let him know you will be giving him random drug tests and the first time he fails he will be expected to agree to treatment.
Get help. Don't be afraid to talk to experts about the situation. Whether you seek individual counseling for yourself, join Al-Anon or go to a group designed for support, you can find answers to navigate through this scary time as a parent.N-Bomb users are told it is a legal alternative to LSD, but it is not legal in several states and authorities report that it is the most powerful and potentially lethal synthetic drug seen in decades. Several teens and young adults have died from the effects of N-Bomb.
Inspect the room completely. Once you found some evidence, it is important to know exactly what you are dealing with. Check every drawer, under the dresser and bed, mattress, and closet to be sure you have all available evidence.
Research what you found. Even if you believe you know what the paraphernalia is used for, research it online to be sure. Some things, like pipes, can be used for both Marijuana and Meth.
Plan your sit-down. As tempting as it is to go into an angry rage, now is not the time. You want your teen to talk to you and hopefully open up. Decide what you will say and practice it so that by the time you talk to him, you can use a calm encouraging tone of voice and a constructive attitude.
Talk with him alone. This conversation will be stressful enough for your teen without having siblings or other family members included. For this first conversation, sit down with just him and you.
Related: Teen drugs and alcohol abuse video
Better yet, take him to lunch or dinner so that it is a public place. This greatly decreases the chance of either of your losing control and raising voices.
Tell him what you found and ask him to explain it. Let him know you want the truth, whatever the truth might be and that you will not punish him if he is honest with you. Listen. If he admits it is his, open a discussion about how long he has been using, why he does it.
Offer help. Whether he says it is a friend's or his own, offer to get him some help. If he is opposed to rehab and insists it is not a big deal, start with asking him to agree to counseling with someone experienced in substance abuse.
Go on Alert. If he refuses treatment or insists it was not his, let him know you will be giving him random drug tests and the first time he fails he will be expected to agree to treatment.
Get help. Don't be afraid to talk to experts about the situation. Whether you seek individual counseling for yourself, join Al-Anon or go to a group designed for support, you can find answers to navigate through this scary time as a parent.N-Bomb users are told it is a legal alternative to LSD, but it is not legal in several states and authorities report that it is the most powerful and potentially lethal synthetic drug seen in decades. Several teens and young adults have died from the effects of N-Bomb.
- The biggest danger with N-Bomb is that you don’t really know what is in each dose. It is not manufactured in a controlled setting such as a medical lab.
Dealers market the drug as synthetic Cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD or Mescaline, but the reality is you have no way of knowing exactly what chemicals or drugs were involved in making it.
- The drug was banned in the USA in 2012 but continues to make its way through the black market drug culture. Amateur garage chemists keep trying different chemicals to make the drug. This dangerous practice is causing users to die, often the first time it is tried.
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- N-Bomb is ingested as a powder, a liquid, or it’s taken on a small piece of blotter paper that is placed under the tongue.
- Also known as Smiles, 25-i or 251-NBOMe, this drug has never had a medical purpose. Its only function is as a designer drug used to achieve a high.
Some people believe they are purchasing LSD (due to it being on blotter paper) but are in fact buying N-Bomb.
- Negative side effects include: seizures, paranoia, confusion, inability to communicate and in some cases, death.
- Those who have survived overdose have sometimes ended up with severe illnesses such as kidney failure and schizophrenia.
- Several states have already classified N-Bomb as a controlled substance. Possession, sale, or manufacturing of the drug can land you in prison.
Final thoughts: N-Bomb has similar effects as bath salts. You can quickly become out of control and ultimately harm yourself or somebody else. Related: N-Bomb Hits the Streets
