From experience, all I can say is that neither the police nor SS will do anything. We have neighbours here who are very young and have a young child. They (particularly the boy) are almost constantly out their faces on drugs (almost anything that he can get hold off, because we all hear him ordering it very loudly on his mobile out the back door) and Buckie or cider (sometimes both). Not a good combination as he gets very violent, abusive and destructive to the point where he has randomly smashed neighbours windows, ripped out washing poles from the ground, torn down fences, set fire to bins, wrecked his own house, smashed bottles all over the street to burst folk's tyres because he thinks that they were looking at him............ You can't approach him because it is well known that he carries a knife and has a posse who all do the same and he is so unpredictable that it's not safe to talk to him about anything. His gang are known to lie in wait for people that they have "grudges" against so that they can get even. He is well known to the police, who are never away from his door, has been in young offenders etc. He also has at least 4 outstanding ASBO things and is in court every couple of months for things like malicious wounding, assault, shoplifting etc. HE also spends a lot of time out the back boasting with his mates about their latest petty, or not so petty, crimes, where everyone can hear him.
And yet, when we (the entire street) complain to the police or the council all we get told is that they will have a word with him. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. It never has any effect. In fact, when a policeman came to my doo, again, recently asking if I had seen him I told him about the latest escapades. The policeman's response was to say that " well, you have to expect some of that kind of behaviour, really, there's not much anyone can do about it."
They are well known to SS as well because the wee girl was underage when she had the baby and they have their own social worker. But they do things like meet her at their parent's houses, smoke all their dope outside etc. And when things have been bad, they disappear for a week or so, lying low until it blows over a bit and police and SS are off their tails. I've even seen then running out the backdoor while the police are knocking on the front door, or have had the police come and ask me if I have seen them, when they are sitting in their house not answering the door!
We all used to be very concerned for their wellbeing, especially as they are so young, and all the neighbours had tried to make them welcome/be helpful etc. But now we are just well and truly sick of the whole thing and have no time for them at all, especially the boy. We all fell very sorry for the wee girl and the baby, but there is nothing that we can do about it.
So if I were OP, I wouldn't approach her neighbour. I would call the local council, even if it is a private house and make a complaint of anti-social behaviour. The council will not divulge who reported unless it comes to court for any reason. I would also think that it was pointless to call the police, except for the fact that having a police record of any complaint of ASB makes it easier for councils to pursue. So I would phone them without any expectation that they will do anything.
And if anyone finds a solution to OPs problem, I would be very interested because the hash reek round here is sick-making, from early in the morning until night time, and my kids refuse to go outside quite often because of it. Well because of it and the constant, overwhelming swearing and shouting etc.
Oh dear, sorry. What a rant.