DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been friends with someone for close to 10 years now. Over that time, we have seen each other through many transitions and changes. As we move into young adulthood, we are facing a lot of unexpected challenges that are getting harder to solve. My friend has started using drugs that are getting increasingly stronger. I am not sure why. As of right now, I have seen her use them in party settings only, but I am not sure how it started. My other friends have alerted me to the issue and asked me whether I have spoken to her about it yet. Honestly, I did not know if it was my place, and I’m not sure how to approach that conversation. What advice do you have for opening that dialogue? – Friends DEAR FRIENDS: A tricky part about talking to drug users is that their knee-jerk reaction is to deny that they are doing anything wrong or that it is a problem. Know that going in, but speak to her anyway.