Estonian mother's fear: 'I thought my son was lying in a pool of blood'

A mother from Estonia shares her harrowing experience of discovering her 16-year-old son Mihkel had fallen in with the wrong crowd and started using cannabis. The family's story highlights the growing concern over teenage drug use in Estonia.

An Estonian mother is speaking out about the moment her world fell apart — when she realised her once-bright and talented teenage son Mihkel, 16, had become entangled with cannabis and a dangerous new social circle.

«I was terrified he was lying under the covers in a pool of blood,» the mother recalls, describing the dread that had become her daily reality. What began as subtle changes in behaviour gradually revealed a deeper crisis unfolding in their home.

A son she no longer recognised

Mihkel had previously been described by his mother as diligent and gifted — a boy with a promising future. But the arrival of new friends brought with them habits and influences the family had never anticipated. Cannabis soon became part of his life, and the son she knew began to slip away.

The mother says the warning signs were there, but like many parents, she initially dismissed them as ordinary teenage behaviour. It was only when the changes became impossible to ignore that the full picture came into focus.

A crisis with no easy answers

Her story reflects a broader challenge facing Estonian families. Experts have long warned that teenage drug experimentation, particularly with cannabis, is rising, and that parents are often the last to know. The sense of helplessness Mihkel's mother describes — watching a child change before your eyes while feeling powerless to stop it — is one shared by families across the country.

For now, she is determined to fight for her son and hopes that by sharing their story, other parents might recognise the signs earlier than she did.