Is cocaine use in student halls a red line for reporting?

[Pufina]

My DD18 has moved to her university city last weekend and is living with 5 other flatmates.
She gets on with her flatmates (3 girls, 3 boys), but 1 of the girls and 1 of the boys uses cocaine. As it is freshers week, they’ve gone out every night, and cocaine has been used every night.
Yesterday there was a flatparty in the flat above my DDs flat, and the cocaine using girl took a random male student into her (and DDs ) kitchen and sniffed 4 lines of cocaine on the kitchen table.

Now for me that is very extreme as cocaine is not ever part of my life. I have not so much issue with smoking a spliff during student years, and know plenty of people who have used XTC when going out in the past.
But cocaine use in my DDs own kitchen is very extreme in my book.
My DD gets on with her flatmates, hates the drugs, but they have a nice time outside of this cocaine business.

She called me to discuss it, and I said she needs to report it as it is dangerous. Cocaine traces can be left on kitchen utensils, chopping boards, food.
But also, surely if this is happening on day 6, what will happen in the next 10 months?
This girl can bring in random strangers to sniff cocaine and the flat might become unsafe for the others.

My dd agrees with me, but also is concerned what would happen when they realise my DD has reported this. However, you can report anonimously so at least that helps a bit.

I would like to know if using cocaine in your kitchen is seen by others as a complete red line, or if this is what happens in student accommodation?

The university I work at would have a complete zero tolerance of that. Is there a senior resident in the halls she can talk to in confidence? Or there should be staff in a student welfare type role (job title will differ by uni, but essentially staff that support students in halls).

My DD had to move out of her uni flat after her flat mates turned on her after reporting their drug use. Now she feels isolated and is living in a place with some postgrads who ignore her and another lad who does even more drugs and has random girls back all the time. I have told dd to report it …

The behaviour of her peers is not her problem. She is managing to be friendly and not use drugs. I think you are unaware of the extent of the issue and need to learn to resource your child to make her own decisions and to live and let live. Your point of reflection is telling an adult what they should do. What your dd needs to do is make her own decisions.

What do you hope to achieve by reporting? Most student houses she could live in will have recreational drug users in, unless you can fund her to live alone?

I agree but as an adult I would also ask a friend or trusted person what their opinion is. I will not report it on her behalf.
But surely there’s a danger of having traces of cocaine in your kitchen and it is something to take seriously?

I think that’s why I’ve posted. Perhaps wrongly, but for me a spliff or xtc is a different category that cocaine , but I might just be 50 and thinking of my student days.

Yes, there are ways to report or speak with support services - she knows the route in and it seems very organised and well serviced

What do you think the danger of having traces of cocaine in a kitchen is?

I agree re random people coming back, but honestly the same goes for drunk people.

Cocaine traces can be left on kitchen utensils, chopping boards, food

OP I doubt that cocaine traces would be left in the places you describe. It is fairly expensive (£80ish) for a gram so they're not going to waste it by flinging it around the kitchen.

You’ll get all the cool mumsnetters coming on and talking about their wild drug taking uni days and just to leave it be, but I think this does cross a line. Why can’t she go out and sniff her cocaine? Sounds a nightmare tbh. I also understand she’s between a rock and a hard place. Not sure what the suggestion is but hope you get some good advice, your daughter sounds like she has her head screwed on anyway.

OP, is she in official student housing (owned by the university or by a private provider of uni housing) or in a flat that they are privately letting from a landlord. A group of students were evicted from a privately-let student house near me a couple of years ago for issues including illicit drug use.

If it's 2 of the 6 using drugs can your daughter speak to the other 3?

I think I’d be counting myself lucky DD is telling you, but I’d not do anything about this. She’ll find her crew, drug use will be rife and she doesn’t need to partake. So long as she knows to stick up for herself, ignore or remove herself from uncomfortable situations and to know to call ambulance or police in an emergency.

Yes, very true.
I don’t know about the exact dangers, but is it not dangerous for cocaine traces in your kitchen so you can accidentally get it in your system? I honestly don’t know if I’m overreacting because cocaine seems to me much more dangerous than a spliff or so.

Can she just report it anonymously? I would be concern that the drug using flatmates could be a bit vulnerable. In some cities, drug dealers target freshers in uni halls. If my kids were snorting coke, I'd rather someone reported them.

I agree!

Dc2 is a 4th year student now and would not be happy living with cocaine users. DC1 graduated in 2024 and also would have been very unhappy with this. My nephew is a y2 student and last year was living with a load of weed smokers and didn’t like it.

😂that’s true

Oh come on, really? You think cocaine use is ok?

She sounds like a sensible girl. She probably doesn't eat straight of the table or use dirty plates. I think the risk of someone leaving some of their (expensive!) drugs on a chopping board/plate/whatever, a morsel big enough to get her high but small enough that she didn't see it and wash up, seems pretty low.
I agree coke is not the same as cannabis to me (although very widespread now sadly) but if people were making spliffs in the kitchen you probably wouldn't worry that she'd accidentally eat their weed.

Cocaine use is pretty rife these days. Not agreeing with it but if you go down the route of reporting it you’re likely to isolate your dd and if she moves she will probably be in the same situation. a lot of DS’s friends do more cocaine than alcohol as it’s cheaper.

Cocaine use might not be ok, but it’s rife among teenagers at college and university these days. It’s no longer seen as an “upper class” working in the city type of drug. OPs daughter could report or move out, there’s a good chance she’ll just end up in a house with other drug users.

Thank you all for your responses.

A few answers: she lives in accommodation provided by the uni.
She gets on with them but sees the girl as vulnerable - she went out in the first night, found drugs and started using with strangers. My DD didn’t want part of it, and after trying g to get her to come home, she left with one of the other housemates and told the using girls to call her if in any trouble.

It’s only been 6 days and this 18 yr old first year student is using cocaine daily and now in their kitchen - is that not very worrying? Reporting will also have someone check on the girl as well as hopefully stop use in their kitchen?

They didn't say it was OK, they asked what was the benefit in reporting. I don't think it's ok when people play music without headphones on the bus, but i carefully weigh up whether or not to tell them to shut up. I don't think shoplifting is OK but I wouldn't tackle someone to the ground if I saw them nicking a can of coke from Greggs.

How do these students afford cocaine?! And no, it’s not normal or something you just have to accept as a student.

In that case you can guarantee this 18 year old was already using cocaine daily before she went to uni

Where did I say yay for cocaine use?!

I'm asking what the reporting is hoping to achieve. A move for ops kid, eviction for the user, What's the aim?

The responses are also quite split, and I’m glad I posted as I am struggling with where to place this.

Perhaps the way forward is to see if my DD can have a word with the girl and talk about her concerns in general, and to specifically say that she doesn’t want cocaine used in their shared kitchen..

she absolutely does not want to live in her own and is definitely enjoying living with others