Where can parents find addiction advice nearby?

Parents can find addiction advice nearby through the facility search of the Lower Saxony State Office for Addiction Issues (NLS) or through the Suchthilfeverzeichnis of the Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS). Anyone who wants to talk first can reach the parents' helpline of Nummer gegen Kummer on 0800 111 0 550. The Sucht & Drogen Hotline can be reached on 01806 313031. Both services help before an appointment on site is in place.

Addiction advice on site

The NLS offers a section for people seeking advice and a facility search on its website. Through it you can find advice centres in Lower Saxony. There they are called specialist services for addiction and addiction prevention. According to the NLS, addiction advice is also a point of contact for relatives. The DHS Suchthilfeverzeichnis can be used across Germany and can be filtered by postcode or town, radius and target group “relatives”.

According to the NLS, advice is free of charge and can take place anonymously on request. Advisers are bound by statutory confidentiality. You can get in touch on site, by telephone or by email. According to the NLS, advice does not require the goal of abstinence. Reducing use can also be the aim.

Telephone help if you want to talk straight away

Not every family can attend an appointment straight away. In that case a phone call can take the first step. The following overview shows the numbers that are named on the providers' pages.

Service	Number	For whom
Parents' helpline of Nummer gegen Kummer	0800 111 0 550	Parents and other close contacts, anonymous and free of charge
Sucht & Drogen Hotline	01806 313031	Questions about addiction and drugs, around the clock, chargeable

You do not have to know everything on the phone. It is enough to describe what worries you. The advice service then helps you find the next place to turn to.

How to find a place nearby

A practical route has four steps. This gets you to a suitable appointment without a long search.

• Open the NLS facility search and enter your place of residence.
• Check whether the service also advises relatives or parents.
• Call and ask how long the waiting time is for a first contact.
• Note your questions in advance, so that you do not forget anything in the conversation.

If the first call does not work out, try another service. More information on choosing and the process can be found in the article on addiction advice centres.

What to bring to the first conversation

A short list helps, even if you are nervous. Write down since when you have noticed something, which changes you observe and what you have already tried. It is also important what your child says themselves, as far as you know it.

Also note which questions concern you most. For example: how do I raise the topic without it escalating? Which rules make sense? When should I get support from outside?

When advice makes particular sense

Parents should not wait until the situation escalates. Good reasons for a conversation are recurring arguments about cannabis, withdrawal from family life or a feeling that you cannot get anywhere with the situation alone. Even if you are unsure whether use is taking place, advice can help you classify it.

Looking at yourself also matters. Parents who feel well supported can respond more calmly to their child. Seeking advice therefore does not mean admitting that you have failed.

What happens in an advice conversation

How a first conversation runs differs depending on the service. You can ask on the phone how the advice is structured.

Questions you can bring: How do I experience my child's use? How do I react in everyday life? Which rules or conversations could help?

Ask on the phone whether there are offers for parents or relatives, for example groups.

If the conflict in the family is getting worse, advice also makes sense when the cause remains unclear.

Prevention: clear rules in everyday life

For parents there is a legal point that is often overlooked in everyday life: cannabis use in the immediate presence of persons under 18 is prohibited (section 5 of the Cannabis Act (KCanG)). Public use is also prohibited in schools, on children's playgrounds, in child and youth facilities, in publicly accessible sports facilities, and within sight of each of these (section 5(2) KCanG). Such rules can be discussed well in family life before any argument arises. Further information is offered in the youth protection section.

When the child denies using

Many parents find that young people deny or play down their use. This is not unusual and does not automatically say anything about your relationship with your child. Often the more important question is how your child is doing. Proof matters less.

It helps to name concrete observations and to ask openly about assumptions. Say, for example, that your child has been sleeping less for several weeks and no longer meets their old friends. Such a conversation is more likely to open the door than a reproach.

If you are worried, discuss your observations with an advice service beforehand. That way you can prepare the conversation and stay calm, even when it becomes difficult.

What you can do now

Call the parents' helpline or the Sucht & Drogen Hotline first if you need someone to talk to. Then use the NLS facility search to find an advice centre near you. If your child already needs help, discuss the next step with the advice service too. Texts that help with the first reaction can also be useful, such as the article What parents should do first or the guide Advice for parents.