I think it's important for any child (or teen) to know that it's not necessarily a prudent thing to place a lot of hope in "instant recovery" or "the magical rehab program." We, as adults, are prone to giving in too quickly to hope sometimes and think that because an addict agrees to get help, then it just might be the end. Most of us know better. And the pain and disappointment that comes along with that is utterly heartbreaking. And this is for adults.
For children/teens? Many still have stars in their eyes. They're a bit naive. They give trust far more readily and their hope is unabashed and shameless.
In regard to your question. I guess I wouldn't push it. It's a LOT to sit down with a child and tell them this kind of thing. There is the risk of glamorizing it, of brushing it off as no big deal, or of going the other direction and scaring him so much that it effects the teen in a really negative way.
Were I in your shoes, I would probably look for help of some kind--be it counseling or whatnot. Maybe even a book about how to talk to teens about drug addiction. This is heavy heavy stuff. For a teen? Multiply that times a thousand.
I think it's great if the ABF wants to sit down and talk about it, but I can also imagine how much pressure that is on ABF. Now that your son knows, there's even more pressure on him to stay clean. That's two people to be accountable to.
I guess what I'm trying to say is: it's a lot. I personally couldn't do this on my own and w/o some kind of support/help. But, you know this situation better than any of us, so in the end, go with your gut.
