Tough Crisis with my best friend, i am fearing for him

Question

My best friend and i have been friends for 15 years, we are 22,23 year old males. growing up we were always against drugs, smoking, drinking. my friends father is an extreme alcoholic who is in terrible condition and got fired from his job years ago. my friend goes to school and work while also taking care of his p*****n nephews because his sister(there mother) is incapable of tending to them all the time, so the chore falls on him. recently it has been brought to my attention that my best friend has been hanging out with a 19 year old male who used to do marijuana and drugs when he was 16,17,18 but has supposedly stopped now, this person dropped out of community college and hangs out with other questionable people some much older(40's). my friend recently told me he drinks smirnoff(after his father is an alcoholic) my friend said he values my friendship but doesnt want me to tell him what to do, because he is a 22 year old adult. his personality is shy an quiet and is a huge follower, when with others. im fearful for my friends safety when he is around this one person because if he did marijuana at 16, who knows what else he is capable of, and i am also fearful that he is befriending my best friend cause he sees he has a steady job and is a follower and maybe he feels he can convince him with his assets to 'help him out' doing stuff illegally. i am friendly with my friends mother and want to tell her about this, i already talked to my friend and he said everything will be fine and not to tell him what to do, but he is acting very differently than years past and again im fearful for his safety. should i tell his mother about this knowing it could get the situation resolved, i am not afraid of losing him as a friend cause he wants to be my friend more than the other way, ive always looked out for him cause of his growing up and shy personality, i feel i need to do something now, please anyone, advice is so needed and appreciated, please help me with this, its stressing me out immensely and i cant sleep. thanks

Answer 1

I feel as if you're friend is trying to live out being a teenager now since you guys never did anything bad when you were in high school it seems. Maybe you're friend thinks that the one smirnoff won't hurt him and doesn't understand the dangerousness of the situation because his dad is an alcoholic. Keep a close eye on your friend and remember that doing what is best for him may not make him like you very much at the moment but in the long run he will thank you. Protect him without breathing down his back. Good luck.  

Answer 2

You're such a caring friend!  It's so great that you're there for him.  Unfortunately, that's about all you can do.  Sounds like he grew up in a lousy household and is still associated with that influence today.  There's not much you can do to help him climb out of that if he doesn't want to.  It takes a strong-willed person to pull away from their past.  I believe that the best way for you to handle this is to pray.  Put your friend in God's hands.  Hopefully that'll help to ease your stress over it.