DEAR ABBY: I live with my best friend and his younger son. We get along well, but my friend’s older son is a meth and heroin addict. He has stolen from all of us, but his father refuses to ban him from the house, saying he refuses to give up on his boy. This is tearing their family apart, and I’m at my wits’ end emotionally. Please advise. — LOSING MY MIND IN OHIO

DEAR LOSING: I am sorry, but if you value the possessions you have worked hard to acquire, you will have to move out in order to protect them. Tell your friend you don’t expect him to choose you over his drug-addicted son. Make clear that he and his younger son are welcome to visit you anytime, but you cannot ignore that his older boy is so caught up in his addiction that he can’t be trusted. Then follow through.

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Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.