I have a friend who I just found out smokes like 5-6 joints a day. He's only 13, and his parents don't know either. But you have to understand that where he is from, for his generation, this is perfectly normal/acceptable behavior. It's also legal to have some in your pocket once you're 18 here(not a whole lot, just enough for you). If you ask a kid on the street that's around 14-18 if they smoke, chances are 8 out of 10 that they do, so it would be futile to try to get him to quit, because it's like telling me not to do someting like cussing anymore because it's bad for you, but I'll laugh it off because its considered so normal.

Oh yah, he also smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, so he's already addicted to those, which is relly bad escpecially for him since he's obese and if he continues it'll definetly increase his chances of a heart attack.

I'd never rat him out, that's not even an option, but well, my question is, do you think I should be worried???

Yes, I think you should be worried. I also don't think that besides being his friend and being there for him, there's nothing you can do. He's got to want to stop for himself, or he won't. You can talk to him, ask him to stop. Tell him that you love him as a friend and you want him to be around for a long time and his lifestyle is shortening his life span by many, many years. This probably won't help, but at least you are trying.

Yelena, you know you can't make people stop doing things they want to do. He'll stop when he's good and ready.

Try doing things with him that would leave him breathless. Like roller blading, skate boarding, skating...etc. If he finds out he likes these things but can't do as much as most kids, he might think about it a little more.

Good luck, you're a good friend.

Thanks for replying pup, you made me feel much better.

I'm afraid I have a slightly different view point. In the states it is illegal to smoke pot as it is also illegal to be a minor and smoke cigarettes. If memory serves me correctly you are overseas this summer so I don't know what the laws are where you are. BUT, if it is illegal I most certainly would "rat him out" if only to his parents. Let him know that what he is doing is not only harmful to his health but also illegal. Give the option of going to his parents and asking for help....or do it yourself. He is headed down a road of addictive behaviour and the sooner he gets help the better for him.

Of course this is only my opinion. But if he is a good friend I doubt that you would want him to harm himself. If you wait for him to make this decision on his own I'm afraid you will be waiting a long time.

Yelena, at 13, your friend is headed down a dangerous road, with smoking pot and cigarettes. There's a chance that he's upset about his obesity, and is seeking comfort in other ways. Puppy made a good suggestion about the roller blading, and skate boarding, because this could make him really feel good about himself, and he could lose weight that way. All you can do is your best, even though sometimes our best is not good enough.

Although I do not know what the exact laws are where you are, I would guess that thirteen-year-olds are "beneath the law," so to speak, in that it is still illegal for them to smoke either substance..?
But, even if it is legal, it is still bad for his health. The only thing you can really do is talk to him. Let him know that you care about him and are worried, and that his habits really bother you.
Personally, I would be more worried about the cigarettes than the joints, of course -though five or six is a lot for a thirteen-year-old...

My first thoughts go to how do his parents not notice that he smells like cigarettes and is stoned? I expect teens to try things, but 13 is very young for this. I would assume the parents do the laundry. It is hard not to find cigarettes in pants pockets and the smell of the clothes should be a little obvious. My guess is that the parents already know. Either they don't know what to do about it or they ignore it.

Even a 13 year old knows that smoking pot is unhealthy and illegal. Cigarettes are as well, but addictive. How do you save someone from themselves? That, I have no answer for.