My general approach is that it's not a good idea to hide the world from your children. Of course I wouldn't go into the gruesome details of drug addiction, but my view is that when *I* explain this to my kids, then it is *me* who is in control of the narrative.

In these cases I try to not "explain" the matter to my children, but to engage them in a conversation. In this case it could go something like this (but the replies of the children might be different and it's important to adjust your conversation to truly involve them). You will be amazed how much they can understand if you explain it the right way:

**Parent:** You know that there are some things that you need to do to be able to live, like eating.

**Child:** Or like breathing.

**P:** Yes, exactly. And when you don't breathe or eat, how does it make you feel?

**C:** It makes me feel bad because I get hungry. Or I can't breathe.

**P:** Yes, and there are drugs you can take that, once you have taken them, it makes you feel bad when you don't take them anymore. You don't need them to live, but your body thinks it does. So people who take drugs find it difficult to stop taking them.

**C:** But why do people take drugs when they make you feel bad?

**P:** Because it makes them feel good the first time they take them but then very soon it stops feeling good and they just take them to not feel bad. So drugs make people ill and we call this illness "drug addiction". That's why you should never take drugs, because they make you ill.

**C:** But why do people use syringes?

**P:** Because for some drugs you need a syringe to take them. And when they use a syringe it gets into contact with other diseases this person might have. And when you get stung by such a needle you can also get incurably sick. So don't touch them and when you are with a grown up, tell them and ask them for help.

Of course you try to answer any other question your child has to the best of your ability.