How to Search a Room for Drugs

Searching a room is can be one of the best ways to determine not only what drug your loved one is using, but also the proof of it. One thing that should be understood is allowing a drug addict to hide and continue their use does not help them. Think of it this way, if you are getting along with drug addict, then you may be enabling them to some degree, even if it’s through silent acceptance. When you are truly helping an addict and forcing them to face their problem, they will likely be angry and upset. Truth is that their anger will pass while legal problems and even death from drug addiction does not.

Unfortunately, drugs take up very little space, making them easy to hide in most cases. It is, for this reason, it is important to be thorough. You will want to make sure you have sufficient time to search, depending on the room size. Also, take into account the amount of stuff in the room. Two hours should be ample time for most rooms. With that let’s get started!

1. Divide the room into sections using each corner as its own zone and the closet or bathroom as their own sections.
2. Begin searching each item in the zone, one by one putting the items that you’ve searched together so as to not miss any or re-searching the same thing.
3. Search clothes pockets, hems and linings of all garments and lining and pockets in purses.
4. Search all the contents of a drawer, even inside envelopes and small jars, bottles or tins making sure you empty drawers to ensure nothing is missed and to check if anything was taped to the bottom or sides of the drawer.
5. Take each book and leaf through it fanning the pages to look for papers that might fall out.
6. Take the backs off picture frames and look for hidden drugs.
7. Look under all cushions and between mattresses.
8. When you find drugs or something drug related like a pipe, needle, or any other sort of paraphernalia put it in a zip lock bag and set it aside.
9. Continue searching as you want to find everything in the room going through each item in each part of the room as you finish one zone put things back how you found them. This will ensure that when you finish it will look like no one went through there room.
10. When done, if you are unsure use the internet to try to figure out what drugs you have found. (You may also want to study different types of drugs beforehand so you know what to look for.)
11. Call and get professional help from one of our counselors so we may assist you in confronting your loved one and getting them the help they need to change their life.

Common places drugs are hidden:

• Inside air vents
• Inside ceiling panels
• Inside of CD and DVD cases
• Fake soda cans or aerosol cans
• Inside computers or speaker system
• Inside hollowed out candles or books
• In shoes or clothes in closets or drawers
• In box spring, pillows, and between mattresses
• On the top of bookshelves, vanities, or high shelves
• The gap between the bottom drawer and the floor beneath