Help or not?

Yes I would help my friend in need. But I will not give her the money to pay the debt off. I would help them get help first as that is the first step to getting clean and next we would work out a deal on this debt. In most cases you do not want to talk to the dealer themselve. Never associate yourself or make transactions sort of speak with these kinds of people. I will help out as much as I can with my friend but they are going to have to take that first step and say I need your help. They have to want help in order to help them.

If this person is a friend, then the answer should be quite obvious. Help her! However, do not jeopardize your own finances and do not give her large sums of cash. Tell her what you expect from her in return and let her know that since you are now 'involved', you will be ... well, involved; be it as someone who now brings up the addiction out of concern or the person who will be asking the friend/addict for repayment. It seems to me that addicts feel hopeless enough (in one way or the other) as it is, and shunning them away won't help. Having friends is easy, and it's times like these that being a friend is hard but - a friend is a friend. I also hope you are not confusing friend with acquaintance. If this person is just 'someone you used to know' or 'a friend of a friend', don't get involved. Though you might suggest she tell someone with authority about her life possibly being in danger. On the other hand, if this person has been there for you for a long time and is someone you consider yourself to actually love, then you should think of her as a friend and love her the best way you can.

I would be afraid not to help if there were that kind of threat. I don't think I would be willing to give very much money because I know I would never see it again. But I don't think I would give it directly to her, but rather to the one making the threat. In fact, I might have the police tailing me so they could get the person making the threat.