Concerned about a friend? How to Identify a Chronic Drug User If your friend is a chronic user, meaning he or she habitually abuses substances and may not be able to stop, he or she will answer yes to at least one of the following questions. The more questions answered ‘yes,’ the more serious the problem. Has your friend ever… • used alcohol or a drug alone? • gotten into a physical or verbal altercation while drunk or high? • blacked out (been unable to remember a period of time) after using drugs or alcohol? • been in a car where the driver was under the influence? • used drugs or alcohol to change his or her mood? • had another friend worry that he or she gets drunk or high too much? Source: Dr. Keller Advice from the School Physician, Dr. Richard Keller “[Chronic drug use] is a life-threatening problem, so my advice would be…try to get that student help. You may be saving his or her life in the long run. The worst that could happen is that they would have to leave the school for a while to get healthy, but in the scheme of things, that’s a mild price to pay.”
