Slimming pills - WWYD?

[Vobble]

Rummaging through my 16 yr old DDs jewellery box today looking for my bracelet, I found some large beige pills. On tackling her about it this afternoon, it appears they're slimming pills (raspberry ketone) that her friend has given her, and she maintains she's not taken any (I believe her when she says this).

Obviously I've read the riot act about taking substances etc, not taking substances from friends etc, but WWYD now? I have said I'm going to contact the school and let them deal with it (as the pills were given at school) but DD is really upset I'm going to do this "it'll ruin my 6th form career before its even started..." Etc.

WWYD? Thanks :)

[specialsubject]

she can take them or stick them up her nose, it will have the same effect on her weight - i.e. sod all. These are just the latest con for the dumb.

so she's a fool and so is her friend. Excusable at 16 when no-one is very bright.

read her the riot act about not being so dumb, not taking strange pills from idiots and perhaps paying a little attention in school. If slimming pills worked would there be fat people?

presumably she is not fat, so some lessons on not reading trash mags, sense about body image etc etc are also called for.

[happystory]

I would bet she has taken some. Keep a close eye on this.

[Vobble]

Yes, I know they won't have any effect on her weight whatsoever. She's not fat, or even a little overweight. It's all very well saying lessons on body image etc are called for, but we have always tried to foster a positive body image with our three kids etc. However, lots of her friends seem to be serial dieters and she is now surrounded by ultra thin girls and she has said in the past that she feels like the larger girl in the group (despite being slim and healthy).

She is saying that she wanted the tablets, but then chickened out of taking any after googling and seeing all the possible side effects. Actually my main worry is that despite having it drummed into her from us and school etc, she's still thought that it'd be a good idea to take an unknown substance (albeit she then changed her mind).

Trashy mags aren't really my cuppa tea either and I hate that kind of tat so she knows our feelings on this and those mags aren't around in our house but she buys them herself and reads them when friends have bought them. I can't police that.

Obviously we have said it's unacceptable, especially with a 6 yr old in the house who may find any substances knocking around. We've taken a bit of a guilt stance here, saying that she would feel terrible had DD3 inadvertently taken them.

Would you bring it up with the school? The other girl's parents? DH is adamant that he's going to see the other girl's dad and let him know it isn't acceptable.

[cory]

I would report it to the school. There are drugs circulating in the school, of unknown strength and with largely unknown side effects: the school needs to know this.

If this embarrasses your dd- well, that is the price she has to pay for having disregarded basic safety advice in the first place (she will have been taught this sort of thing by the school, even if you hadn't done it).

Put it to her that somebody else might take these pills and become ill and that she will be part responsible.

It may well be that these pills are largely harmless. But any secondary school is going to contain a number of pupils whom even the sellers of these pills admit shouldn't be taking them, and they are being dished out at random.

[FernieB]

I would tell the school - they need to know if pills like this are being circulated. Thankfully your DD is too sensible to take them. If you know the other girls' parents well I would mention it to them and let them know what their DD is taking. If it was the other way around, I'm sure you would want them to tell you. If you don't know them, then I would tell the school and let them deal with it.

I know what you mean about the ultra skinny girls. My DD's are in Year 8 and there are a lot of very skinny girls in their year. Mine are not skinny, just slim, but they feel like hippos sometimes. I do sometimes wonder about the message that some of these girls are getting from their parents having overheard some parental comments. At one event one of my DD's friends (very skinny) tried a mouthful of lasagne and was told to remember 'a moment on the lips etc' by her mum. I have also heard mums of younger girls boasting about how their DD's were judged as being underweight after their Year 6 school medical - as if this is an achievement.