Out of me and my younger sister, I was always the ‘bad’ daughter, because I smoked cigarettes and weed, was addicted to amphetamines and opiods (including heroin, occasionally), was an alcoholic, and most of my friends were dealers. I was like that from about 13 til two months ago, when I suddenly had a change of heart (I’m almost 19 now). I’ve quit all drugs (apart from caffiene and nicotine :P) and quit drinking, cold turkey. I decided to be healthy, and on top of that, to be an honest person, and live in a moral way, so I could start making up for how awful I’d been in the past.
Part of my new life is my decision that I would NEVER break a promise, because I want to be honest. Another thing I decided was that I would do everything I could to avoid causing people harm, and I would protect and look after my family as best I could.
This is my problem: my 14yr old sister (who, as far as my mom knows, is 100% good and has never done anything wrong) came home from school stinking of weed. My mom smelled it, and immediately assumed it was me who had been smoking it, because of my past. I said I hadn’t been smoking weed (which is true), but she doesn’t believe me, and is pulling a huge guilt trip which is making me really upset. My sister told me that not only did she smoke weed today, but that she smokes it very often, and drinks. She’s planning to go out and get drunk and stoned tonight, having lied to my mum about where she’s going. But she made me PROMISE not to tell our parents any of this.
What is the right course of action here? I would hate to break my promise, but on the other hand, I’m afraid she might get hurt or go down the same path I did if I don’t break the promise. And that would break the vow I made to protect my loved ones. Also, it’s unfair that I should be punished for something I didn’t do.
But then again, I feel like it’s my fault that she’s got in with a bad crowd (a lot of her friends do drugs, and she’s started to help her dealer friends measuring, packing and moving the weed on), because of the awful role model set to her. Should I set that right by telling my mom and hoping she will stop my sister ending up like I did? Or should I just take the blame and do nothing?
What is the moral course of action here?
