I think my brother is into cocaine. What do I do?

[Anonymous]

My brother lives with me in my apartment. Over the past 2 months, he hasn't paid me rent, leaving me to front the rent check. He keeps saying he is going to pay me back but never does, even when he went to our mom for money. She gave him money under the pretense he was going to pay me back some of what he owed me and not only did he never pay me any of it, he never told me she gave him any money.

So there's the financial issues. Now, he has friends over late at night and when they are in his room I hear very heavy sniffing and snorting sounds then someone will leave the room and go downstairs and it sounds like they are getting glasses of ice water. I don't know if that's something people do after snorting coke. My brother has been in to pot for years and has much as I've denounced it, he's kept doing it. I thought it was relatively harmless but now I'm very scared for him. I don't know if he is snorting it or just his friends that come over but I don't know what to do regardless. Please any advice would be most welcomed.

[madmisskelly]

What is his behavior like? Is he erratic, talking fast, jittery?

You have enough to get him evicted as of now since he isn't paying you rent. You could confront him about the coke, but he thinks he's gaming you pretty good, and a coke head won't come out and say "oh yeah, I do coke." You're going to have to have hard facts, which you don't right now.

The tough thing is, if your landlord starts to get suspicious, and he finds out that there is anything illegal happening, BOTH of you two will be in trouble.

I think snooping may be a bit much, but you could, and look for paraphanelia such as razors, straws, snorters, little baggies, stuff like that.

You should approach it from the point that you could both be evicted because of it. So he needs to do what he's going to do elsewhere, and he needs to pay you rent on a regular basis, or you will evict him. You paying the rent for him is only going to allow him to keep using if that's what he is doing.

[b3xgrl]

thats a tuff one. I've never known anyone personally that does hard drugs. But if I did, I would feel the need to confront them. or maybe catch him in the act. next time he has friends over and you hear the sounds, you should walk in his room innocently, like to ask a question. if he locks his door, then knock on the door, if they don't answer in 5 seconds or so then they must be hiding something.

also yuo should look up the physical side effects to coke, and see if you can spot any symptoms in him, for example if red eyes is one, then after you think he's just done coke, look for the symptoms

[ladsin]

no offense to you (like you said you don't know any) but I do know many coke-heads and they are irrational and will do nearly anything to get their "fix" cocain is a physically and psychologically addicting drug, if they stop they can go through major withdrawals (shakes vomitting etc) and in extreme cases people have been known to die... even some girls I know that only tried it once or twice say it is really addictive and to never mess with someone who does it

[b3xgrl]

well the idea is not to take away the coke,and hide it.the idea is to find out the truth,whether he is on it or not.when you find that out then you try and help them, which is hard because if they don't think they have a problem, they won't think there's anything to fix.but just because they have a serious addiction doesn't mean you sit off and let them do it because you are afraid to piss them off. its more stupid to let them just do it, overdosing is more likely to kill them then withdrawal

[martyfellow]

Yes, no doubt yu're right. First I would go to your mother about it. He needs help and I doubt he'll lsiten to you, he didn't about the pot...if you mother won't intervene, then find someone else. Talk to yoour MD first, if you don't know someone with experience handling this situation.

[ladsin]

id boot him, I wouldn't home someone who not only doesn't pay their fair share but is also involved in behavior that could land you years in prison (know if its your house and you "know" about it, you are just as liable) that's up to 40 years jail sentence if he's distributing.