When I was about 12 or 13 years old, I made the dumb decision to try meth. Till this day I'm not sure if it was even meth, I was told it was but I didn't feel the exact side effect that they say meth does like for example, I didn't feel high at all and I still slept and had the appetite to eat so maybe I didn't sniff it right or sniff enough to actually get a high out of it or maybe it was just salt but point is, I never tried to do meth again after that and now I'm 17 years old now and I have a dream of joining the law enforcement to become a Police Officer and I heard that any past drug use can disqualify me from acheiving that dream. I honestly have been stressing out on this and feel heartbroken that my dream is down the drain because even though it's been about almost 5 years since that incident, I can't hide the fact their was a possibility that I've had an intake of meth inside my system cause to be a cop, I have to go through a lie detector test which I'll have to answer questions and I know they are going to ask if I had any past drug use and I won't lie but I'm currently in the exploreres and taking a adminstration justice class to prepare myself but at this point, I don't know if I'm wasting my time trying to become a cop because from what I heard, if a person has tried any hardcore drugs, they are automacticly disqualified. BUT If you know if there is any way I can still achieve my dream and become a police officer even with that past decison that was made, please let me know. I'd prefer if someone from the law enforcment would answer this question but I will accept advice from anyone as well. Thanks so much
Ask your guidance counselor at school to check into it.
Yes. it most certainly can. I'm not in law enforcement myself but my boyfriend is looking towards becoming an officer. While looking into it, he found that to become an officer you cannot have had any trouble with the law in the past. Any charges or tickets can disqualify you. But that being said, I find it hard to believe that all officers out there have never tried a drug in their life.
Well, i'm not in law inforcement. But c'mon, you were 12. They aren't going to hold something against you for when you were 12. And it was only one time. The times they are talking about are pot heads and coca!ne freaks that do it everyday. I'm sure every police officer out there has smoked or done drug$ a few times before. No joke, you're 99% fine :)