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It’s not uncommon for people who are struggling with addiction to try to hide their addiction from family and friends by stashing their drugs in hiding spots. Addicts often hide their drugs around the home, in the car, or at work to evade the judgment of loved ones.
Although times have changed, the places where addicts hide their drugs have mostly remained the same. While the common well-known spots like shoes and clothes will always be around, the advancement of products has given addicts more opportunities to hide addiction from their families and conceal their drugs without being caught.
Where Do Addicts Hide Their Drugs?
If you are suspicious that a loved one is abusing drugs, you may find yourself wondering, “Where do people hide drugs?” Here are the top ten spots addicts hide their drugs:
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#1 Spot Where Addicts Hide Drugs: Wallet
It may seem like an obvious place to look, but a lot of people get away with simply keeping small packages of drugs in their wallet. Often, a wallet is not fully searched during security checks to festivals and events.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#2 Spot: Stash Objects
Many products such as lighters, cologne, or even soda cans have ‘stash’ versions sold online, in which secret compartments have been built directly into the product.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#3 Spot: Socks & Shoes
Socks and shoes are also extremely common, but not just inside of them the way you may think. Hidden compartments in either the sole or the tongue of a shoe are becoming more common, or even in baggies hidden between the toes.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#4 Spot: Pens
Pens with the inkwell removed offer enough room for a joint or small rolled up baggy.[/two_third]
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#5 Spot: Mint Containers
Although opened containers must usually be thrown away upon entry to a concert, a lot of teens have successfully snuck in pills within mint containers, even lacing mints themselves with drugs like LSD.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#6 Spot: Makeup & Lip Balm
Small containers holding makeup or lip balm can be easily hollowed out and filled with drugs, some teens are even clever enough to leave the some of the product on top to conceal drugs even if they are searched.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#7 Spot: Inhalers
Necessary health products (such as inhalers) are even less likely to come under scrutiny, offering even better places to stash drugs after being deconstructed.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#8 Spot Where Addicts Hide Drugs: Hair
A person with a full head of thick hair has the perfect spot to hide a small package or joint.[/two_third]
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#9 Spot: Deodorant
Along the same line as makeup and lip balm, deodorant containers can usually be manipulated easily, creating a hiding space for drugs and paraphernalia.[/two_third][one_third_last]
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#10 Spot: Directly on the Body
A lot of addicts hide their drugs directly on their body, whether it is taped to their skin or within the strapped area of their underwear. For men, this is most often the crotch area, while for women, it is often inside a bra.
Why Do Addicts Hide Their Drugs?
An addict may hide his or her drugs for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are:
- He or she is ashamed. If your loved one doesn’t want you or anyone else in your family to know about the drug use, he or she will likely hide a stash of drugs somewhere. This behavior typically stems from feelings of shame or a fear of judgment. If you already know about the drug abuse, he or she may still stash drugs in hiding places to hide the severity of the drug problem.
- He or she is trying to evade the law. In certain instances, like at work or school, your loved one may hide drugs so they don’t get into legal trouble. Getting caught with drugs on the job or at school could have severe legal consequences, so hiding the drugs in a locker or desk is likely a way to avoid that.
- He or she is in denial about the problem. Maybe your loved one doesn’t want to admit that he or she has a problem with drugs, so instead of coming clean, they hide the drugs in hopes you’ll never find them.
Other Drug Paraphernalia to Look for
Drug paraphernalia is objects that are modified to use or conceal recreational drugs. Finding drug paraphernalia among a loved one’s belongings should be a major red flag and could be a sign of a severe drug abuse problem, even if you don’t find any drugs.
If you believe a loved one is abusing drugs and you find any of the following objects among their possessions, it may be time to talk to them about getting help for their addiction. Additionally, if you discover a loved one’s drug stash too, but he or she claims the drugs belong to a friend or significant other, the presence of these items in their possession may help you determine that the drugs were meant for personal consumption.
- Plastic, ceramic, metal, wood, glass, or acrylic pipes
- Tobacco rolling paper
- Tin foil, masking tape, and cardboard liners (Together, these items can be used to make a homemade crack pipe.)
- Razor blades
- Bongs
- Small spoons (If they are being used for drugs, they may have burn marks on the bottoms.)
- Rolled up dollar bills, paper tubes, or short plastic straws
- Needles
- Syringes
- Eyedropper bottles
- Tourniquet
- Lighter
Many of these items may be used to inject, snort, or inhale drugs recreationally and should be a warning sign that your loved one is abusing drugs.
What to Do if You Discover a Loved One is Hiding Their Addiction from Family
Although it may be difficult to stay calm after finding out your loved one is hiding their addiction from family, it’s important that you do. Approaching them in the heat of anger will not do any good and could make the addict even less likely to listen to your concern and consider getting help.
If you believe your loved one’s drug abuse is serious, you may want to consider hosting an intervention with a few close family members and/or friends. If you’ve never hosted one before, a professional interventionist can help you organize it. Working with a professional interventionist can help ensure the intervention remains productive, peaceful, and respectful and may also increase the odds that your loved one will agree to go to treatment, especially if you’ve never hosted one before.
Finding an addict’s stash of drugs can be shocking, disappointing, and scary, but there is help available for your loved one. Call Nova Recovery Center today for more information about our long-term drug and alcohol rehab program or to enroll a loved one.
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