I am in a deep quandary

What does one do when a close friend breaks an agreement—a covenant? When this is potentially life threatening to one's friend, what action should be taken? This is the quandary with which I’m faced at the moment.

When I first met my friend over a year ago, he was involved in using methamphetamines. I befriended him and assisted him in getting off the crank. When he was clean, he moved back to his home state. I actually never thought I’d see him again.

However, about four months ago he returned to Louisville, looked me up, and we renewed our friendship. I helped him locate an apartment in a house on the street where I live and would periodically drive him to and from work. We actually got closer than before and—because of our age difference—I began seeing him in the same way I see my sons. I admit I was concerned about his history of drug use and talked to him about that concern. He assured me that he was drug free and would remain so.

All went well until a few weeks ago when I began seeing in him signs of methamphetamine use. He seemed paranoid and irritable, basically stopped eating, talked incessantly, and reported that he couldn’t sleep. At that point I confronted him again, but he assured me he wasn’t using methamphetamines or any other illicit drugs.

Then, several days ago, I began to notice other physical signs: very dry skin, acne, sores on his arms (he began wearing long-sleeve shirts in 80+ degree weather to hide his arms), itching and scratching. Again I confronted him and offered to help him get into a rehab center. He denied any drug use and accused me of dreaming what I was seeing.

The climax began last night when he telephoned me and said he had a “terrible headache”—another methamphetamine sign—and asked if I could bring him some Tylenol. I agreed. When I was taking the Tylenol to him, I encountered the methamphetamine pusher with whom he was previously involved. The pusher must have recognized me, because he quickly got into his car and drove off. I confronted my friend. He became defensive and angry. I backed off.

This morning he telephoned and wanted to borrow money to pay his rent. He said he’d been ill and unable to work much of last week and was desperate. I again questioned him about the pusher and the effects of methamphetamines that I was seeing. At this point he admitted his use and told me it was none of my business. He hung up on me.

I have rather mixed feelings about drug usage. On one hand, I feel that the best way to handle drugs is to get the law out of the whole business rather in the way European nations have. On the other hand, I have seen the destructive side of drugs, especially of methamphetamines. I fear for my friend, because I think his use of crank will end up killing him. If he were my son, I would somehow get him into treatment. As it is, I fear for him but feel there is nothing I can do except pray for him. I feel I am in a deep quandary and a very sticky situation.