Drugs and skating

[waterfallrainbow]

Bit out of my depth here. 13 yr old DS blithely announced to me that his local skate park (we're in inner city London - very rough, lots of gang problems) is full of grass and I don't mean the kind you walk on.

On the one hand, he absolutely loves skating. He's at a pressurised prep school and it gives him a chance to relax and mix with all kinds of people in an equal environment. I think that's important.

On the other hand the skate park is next to one of the roughest council estates in London, has a serious soft drugs problem and we have a kid stabbed every week around here.

When he said this, we were sitting in our kitchen and the scent of marouijana was floating in from next door's garden. The police are too busy with stabbings to worry about a bit of dope.

I'm going with the honesty is the best policy option. I believe hash is a crappy life choice - bad for the brain and I hate the fact that it feeds the gang culture around here. I'm still letting him go to the skate park but not alone and I shall be doing spot checks. I've alerted the other parents too. Am I doing enough?

I live in SE london and weed is fairly ubiquitous. Part of the culture. In the summer you can often smell it in our house, people walking past, neighbouring gardens etc.

I wouldn't over worry. As long as he's going to the park to skate, and understands about marijuana and drugs. He's not going to skate well if he's high anyway. If you and other parents keep an eye out, and the kids understand that any hint that they're doing anything other than skate and the park trips stop.

I think you are dealing with it in the right way. Letting him go but making sure he is well educated on drugs.

However I would be in contact with the PCSO's in the area and let them know what is going on. They can hopefully make their presence known there on a regular basis and maybe even go into talk in the schools.

It's actually really sad that these kids feel there are no other options in life than drugs and gangs.

Thank you everyone. Good advice. I agree MycatsaPirate it is very sad for these kids who get involved in gangs. The gangs prey on vulnerable (often from ethnic minorities) kids e.g. from single parent families, make them take the rap for their crimes. Once in they're totally stuck. I feel so so bad for them, and I also feel that all I can do is pray for them.

I do imagine also that skating and weed are an interesting combination (if highly inadvisable, especially at 13!!)

I'm up north and you can smell it around our local skate ramp/park too. Must be a thing. I think you're handling it great.