First of all, this is the kind of thing you want to avoid discussing on the company computer. You have no privacy rights when you do, unfortunately, and they might be OK with the use AND the topic, or NOT.
Hmmm, young Darth an interest in FIREARMS, has he?
Leah, her family, disfunctional is!!!
Now that that's out of the way,
It would be interesting to know why he bought it and possibly carries it around in his truck.
My wild-ass guess is- for defensive reasons and he couldn't buy a handgun. Not legally, anyway.
Maybe he would be open to someone expressing an interest in his fine firearm for skeet / hunting giving him a legal offer (assuming its not "hot").....and from the sounds of things, maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea for him to have the purchaser's address (just being careful here) to let slip in the hearing of some less desirable people.
Meanwhile, if he (hopefully) has a true interest in firearms /shooting / hunting / keeping his 2nd Amendment rights, maybe he could use a conversation about the law and how his substance use could make it tough down the road to own a firearm, even if he eventually cleans up. Also in a friendly way letting him know that the WA laws prohibit the dangerous act of carrying a loaded weapon around (assuming thats the case), even if it's not concealable, and that doing so threatens his 2nd A rights down the road. And even before that, it's dangerous - what if he had it bouncing around in the back or he gave a ride to someone and there was a negligent discharge?
I hope he actually decides on his own that he doesn't need one for now, rather than having it taken away somehow.
Let's hope he doesn't have it cause he's in some shit with somebody and expects to have to use it someday to save his butt.
The DUI and alcohol counseling thing is a tough one. Sometimes the way they "help" has implications for other areas of the clients life, and this is an example. I hate to seem people losing their right to own firearms, and the counselors can see that as irrelevant to (or even a good thing if we can have 'one less gun') their main job - dealing with the substance isssue.
On the other hand, realistically, there ARE people who just aren't responsible enough to have a firearm.
Not knowing him personally, how can we assess the depth of his alcohol situation? So he got a DUI at 19. It could have happened to many of us, no? Not that's GOOD, but was it part of a pattern, a single stupid mistake, or what? It's bad to be driving around endangering everyone, including yourself.
Get a reading on your co-worker - true concern, busybody, or what?
Yes, this is a tough one, alright. It doesn't sound promising, at least at this point.