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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take my child straight down to the police station

138 replies

candymad · 10/08/2017 08:42

My 14yo daughter came home from meeting a friend last night with a suspiciously heavy bag. I opened it and found a large number of unused nitrous oxide canisters.
Would I be unreasonable to take her to the police station to get rid of all the canisters and to explain to them where they've come from?

OP posts:
2cats2many · 10/08/2017 08:43

YANBU

Lumpylumperson · 10/08/2017 08:43

YANBU!

fuckingroundabout · 10/08/2017 08:45

clearly very naieve here but what are they for?

Theworldisfullofidiots · 10/08/2017 08:46

It's laughing gas. They've been inhaling it..

InvisableLobstee · 10/08/2017 08:48

I'm not one for marching my child to the police station. Maybe I've read the Godfather too many times. I'd go with having a good talk about the dangers of this sort of thing.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 10/08/2017 08:48

Also educate her. There must be stuff on line or agencies that can give info

Theworldisfullofidiots · 10/08/2017 08:48

m.talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-oxide

Ceebs85 · 10/08/2017 08:49

Hell no! She needs to know this is serious shit otherwise what's next?!

Original poster
candymad · 10/08/2017 08:50

I've done the talking bit when we've suspected that she was up to something and then she still comes home with a 100 canisters!

OP posts:
FrancisCrawford · 10/08/2017 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mrscropley · 10/08/2017 08:52

She needs to know you mean business.

I reported my ds for drugs, school caught him also. . It was a year of hell but all good now. .

scurryfunge · 10/08/2017 08:54

It's the supplying of it that she runs the risk of being dealt with by the police. They won't just talk to her if she has that many.

RhinoGirl · 10/08/2017 08:55

No YANBU.

Fuzzynavel101 · 10/08/2017 08:55

I think the police would be rather OTT. Nitrous oxide is pretty harmless and low risk, certainly massively less so than alcohol. It is technically illegal to supply it for human consumption, but not to possess or use. I think the police would have much better things to do with their time frankly. It would be very difficult to establish was for human consumption as widely sold for catering use anyway. Much better would be to sit down and have a proper conversation with her about risks and consequences of these kind of things. Teenagers will experiment with drink and other things, so make sure she's properly informed about making a sensible choice.

BeyondThePage · 10/08/2017 08:57

100 cannisters she could be arrested/given a caution for intent to supply.

She will then have to declare that on her college/job/travel abroad applications - so no I would not take her to the police station, but I would remind her that any drugs on her record would mean no travel in future to the US, no working with kids etc - whatever will make her think.

paddlenorapaddle · 10/08/2017 08:58

Take her this is one of those times you need to be parent and hold the line. She crossed it there are consequences real world consequences.

Also consider grounding social media banning and informing her friends parents this is what they've been doing

PodgeBod · 10/08/2017 08:59

I wouldn't take her to the police. The moment you do that, it's out of your control and she could be charged with something that will stay with her for years. Plus destroying her trust in you. Couldn't you just discipline her harshly at home?

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 10/08/2017 08:59

100 canisters. I'd ring FRANK and talk to an adviser

LightDrizzle · 10/08/2017 09:00

Police. It's serious, better she goes voluntarily and "helps" them than they find her days or weeks down the road.

She needs to realise how risky her behaviour has been.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 10/08/2017 09:01

m.talktofrank.com/support-near-you

Also she needs to know the law around supplying and the dangers of taking drugs

MargaretTwatyer · 10/08/2017 09:02

No don't. She may get arrested/a caution and that type of drug related arrest or caution could have a big impact on her future e.g. Not being allowed to travel to America or take up certain careers like teaching or police etc.

MarcelineTheVampire · 10/08/2017 09:02

Don't go to the police- she could be arrested for intent to supply and then it could really spiral.

Harsh punishments at home.

Gooseberrycrumble4 · 10/08/2017 09:03

m.talktofrank.com/drug/nitrous-oxide

JiminnyCricket · 10/08/2017 09:04

Police, now. Laughing gas is relatively harmless but there have been cases of deaths and if she's supplying that's really bloody serious.

ilovesooty · 10/08/2017 09:05

I would contact the young people's section of your local drug team for advice. They will have specifically trained advisers who will talk this through with her.