Drugs and alcohol
Drugs and alcohol are associated with most forms of exploitation.
Using drugs and alcohol can make you more vulnerable to being exploited. One example of this is cuckooing, where drug dealers take over your property and use it as a base to store and sell drugs. Drugs and alcohol can be used to build a relationship with you, putting you at increased risk of exploitation.
Another example is being manipulated into sexual activity for drugs and alcohol, which is a form of sexual exploitation.
Even if you don’t use drugs, you could still be targeted as a victim of exploitation and encouraged to use them. If you start using drugs you become easier to exploit, as you may feel you need to/have no choice but to resort to criminal activities to fund your drug use and less concerned about taking part in criminal activity to feed your habit.
It’s important to know the risks involved when using drugs and alcohol and to be aware of how they could be used to exploit you.
What are the signs?
If you are concerned about someone trying to take over your property, try to spot the signs as early as possible. Be wary of anyone trying to befriend you with the promise of drugs or alcohol, or someone who refuses to leave after you have allowed them into your home. They might also allow other people to stay without your permission.
If you are drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol each week, or binge drinking (drinking lots of alcohol in one session) you should try to cut down. The recommended adult weekly limit is 14 units of alcohol. One unit is about half a pint of beer (4% ABV) or a single measure (25ml) of spirits. A small glass of wine equals 1.5 units.
You can experience addiction to drugs and alcohol without realising. These are all signs of drug or alcohol addiction – and signs that you might need help:
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not using drugs or alcohol
- Being unable to cut down the amount of drugs or alcohol you use
- Using drugs or alcohol despite it causing problems in your life
- Lying to friends and family about your drug or alcohol use
- Developing a tolerance to drugs and alcohol and having to use more to have an effect
- Giving up other things in your life to use drugs or alcohol
- Your drug use is causing issues with your relationship with family/friends/partner
You might also be worried about someone else who has started using drugs or drinking too much alcohol. You might notice some changes in their behaviour or appearance, such as:
- Mood swings, becoming angry or anxious
- Having problems at work or being absent
- Being secretive about what they are doing and where they are going
- Smelling of alcohol
- Neglecting personal care/appearance
- Red eyes and tiredness
- Losing interest in hobbies and activities
What could happen to me?
Using drugs and alcohol can change your behaviour so that you take more risks and make bad choices. You could put yourself into a dangerous situation or do something you regret, such as having a fight, or having unsafe sex, or sex you wouldn’t normally want to have if you hadn’t taken anything. Unsafe sex could put you at risk of sexually transmitted infections, or unplanned pregnancy.
If you become the victim of cuckooing, you can lose your independence and be subjected to threats and violence. Your own drug and alcohol use could also spiral out of control.
Another danger with drugs is that you don’t know what you are taking. There is no standard for producing illegal drugs meaning that they vary in potency and often contain a range of substances, which can cause unwanted effects and could result in an overdose that could kill you.
Drugs are illegal and if you are arrested for possession, you could receive a criminal record, which can have consequences for you with employment, housing and travel abroad.
Using drugs and alcohol can affect your mood and affect your relationships with people who care about you. It can cause arguments at home and if your friends don’t like what you are doing, you could lose those important friendships and be left isolated and more vulnerable to exploitation.
You should also be aware of drink spiking, where someone puts alcohol or drugs into your drink without your permission. Sometimes the drugs that are used can sedate you and make you vulnerable to being sexually attacked.