Responding to the needs of children of problem drug & alcohol users.
Parental problem drug use can and does cause serious harm to children of every age.
Reducing the harm to children should become a main objective of drug policy and practice.
Effective treatment of the parent can have major benefits for the child.
By working together, services can take practical steps to protect and improve the health and well-being of affected children.
The number of affected children is only likely to decrease when the number of problem drug users decreases.
It is estimated that approximately 40,000 children in NI are living with parental alcohol misuse; 40% of children on the child protection register and 70% of looked-after children are affected by parental substance misuse.
