For families & friends
When your teenage child is drinking or using. As a parent you can act for a child, and here is where to turn first.
Finding out your teenager is drinking or taking drugs is frightening, and it is hard to know what is ordinary and what is serious. Take a breath. Many young people who try things do not go on to bigger problems, and there is real, free help designed just for this age.
Unlike with an adult, you can act on behalf of a child, and you do not have to work it out alone.
Because your child is under 18, you can involve services directly, ask for help, and stay closely informed. That is a real difference from worrying about a grown-up child. It does not mean taking over, but it does mean more doors are open to you.
Your GP can help and can refer on to CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) if needed. Most areas have a free, confidential young people's drug and alcohol service, and the charities We Are With You and Change Grow Live both run dedicated under-18 teams. FRANK (0300 123 6600, or text 82111) gives honest, non-judgemental information about any drug, for you or your child. School pastoral staff can also be a quiet ally.
What helps most is staying connected: calm, curious conversations rather than confrontation, and making clear they can always come to you. You do not need to have all the answers. For your teenager's mental health, YoungMinds runs a free Parents Helpline on 0808 802 5544, and there is more family support below.
FRANK (0300 123 6600, text 82111) for honest drug information. Your GP, and CAMHS where an assessment is needed. Your local young people's drug and alcohol service, free and confidential, often run by We Are With You or Change Grow Live. YoungMinds (0808 802 5544) for your child's mental health and for you as a parent. The family charities below can support you too.
Stay calm and reach for the help built for this age. Your GP, FRANK (0300 123 6600) and your local young people's drug and alcohol service (free and confidential, often run by We Are With You or Change Grow Live) are the first ports of call. Because your child is under 18, you can involve these services directly.
Yes. Under-18 services are free and confidential, and they are used to working with worried parents as well as young people. They will involve you appropriately and keep your child safe.
You have more say than you would with an adult, and you can involve your GP, CAMHS and local youth services. What works best alongside that is staying connected and calm, so your child keeps talking to you. FRANK and YoungMinds (0808 802 5544) can help you find the words.
No. Lots of young people experiment, and a child's drinking or drug use is not a verdict on your parenting. What matters now is getting the right support, which exists and is free.