Drug Abuse And Substance Abuse

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Recommended: Parent drug use and children

Parents are the most important people for their children’s development and success. However, there are increasing number of parents who are addicted to alcohol and other illicit drugs in the United States. According to combined results from 2000 and 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), it has been estimated that 10% of children (more than seven million) have at least one parent who is dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs, and that 6% have at least one parent who is in need of treatment for illicit drug use (Conners, Robert, Leanne, Jeffrey, Tracy, Ken, and James, 2004). Parents’ addiction to alcohol and other illicit drugs might create unstable home environment including family disruption, family violence, loss of employment, and financial instability, marital breakdown, and physical and psychological abuse (Gabriele, 2011). Children of substance abusing parents are widely considered at high risk for a range of biological, developmental, and behavioral problems, including for developing substance abuse problems of their own (Conners, Robert, Leanne, Jeffrey, Tracy, Ken, and James, 2004). Thus, it is important to examine how parents’ addiction to alcohol and other illicit drugs negatively affect their children physically, psychologically, and socially.
Substance abusing parents can negatively affect their children physically. One of the physical factors that can negatively affect children of substance-abusing parents is that these children are more likely to be physically abused by their parents. In a study of mothers recovering from addiction, Harmer, Sanderson, and Mertin (1999) found that the majority of mothers in the sample reported aversive childhood experiences that were significantly more frequent than th...

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...dge and bolster achievement (Conners, Robert, Leanne, Jeffrey, Tracy, Ken, and James, 2004). Social skills are crucial factors in our contemporary society. Children must learn how to socialize with others for their future success and development. Substance-abusing parents are more likely to limit their children’s social skills by creating unstable home environments.

In conclusion, it is shocking that more than seven millions of children have at least one parent who is dependent on alcohol or other illicit drugs. Parents should create nurturing environments for their children’s development and future success. However, substance-abusing parents are less likely to create healthy home environment for their children. Born from substance-abusing parents can lead children to have physical, psychological, and social problems that will limit the ability of the children.

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