As a matter of fact, the vast majority of men will consume an addicting substance at least once—we all have tried cigars or drinking alcohol during parties, events, and nights out with our buddies. But you’ll know that your buddy has crossed the boundaries if they become so addicted to eat that they can’t live without the substance and their personal relationships and health suffer incredibly.

If your friend has the habit of getting wasted or consumes soft or hard drugs on a regular basis, there is definitely an issue here and as a friend, you should do something for your buddy before things get out of control.

Here are some tips:

1. Examine whether their behavior is normal and acceptable or whether they have crossed the line indeed. If for example you go out and everyone has a couple of drinks but the drink entire bottles themselves and can’t seem to stop—or worse search for a place to  sniff some powder in privacy or ask you for money to pay off their addiction, you certainly shouldn’t  ignore it.


2. Address and discuss the issue with them while they are sober.  If you start getting angry and confront them while they are under the influence of the substance, you won’t achieve much—in fact, you risk making matters worse. What you should do instead is finding a moment where they are calm and sober and bring up the issue indirectly without being too aggressive and criticizing. Perhaps they have their own reasons for engaging in such an unhealthy behavior—find them together so you can help.


3. Don’t be a partner in crime. You may not engage in such behavior yourself but if you both go out in places where you know your friend will cross the line (as they have already done so a thousand times), make it stop. Don’t try to downplay it by making it an inside joke between you or simply ignore it like it’s not a big deal. If your friend has crossed the line, let them know that you are not willing to be his accomplice and support such a behavior.


4. Seek external resources of support. If you have no clue on how to deal with the matter effectively, seeking external sources of support should help both you and your friend cope with the matter more appropriately. Perhaps you should consult a counselor or a mental health expert with experience in treating addictions problems. If your friend refuses to get help on their own, take some expert advice on how you can help your friend deal and even overcome their addiction issue.