How a Drug Addiction Can Affect Children

Drug addiction appears to be on the rise across the UK, negatively impacting the lives of many; this includes not only the life of the addict but also their loved ones and friends. It can be incredibly frustrating for these people to see their loved one struggling with addiction but not doing anything about it. Children of addicted parents are often the most affected by the situation; to see a parent change completely as a result of drug use can be extremely distressing for kids and it may lead to them becoming withdrawn, anxious and depressed.

Levenmouth local councillor Andrew Rodger has been shocked by the number of children in his area that are being left without a parent due to drug addiction. He feels that more should be done to help those suffering from addiction.

Crying Shame

Rodger said that it was a ‘crying shame’ that 61 children across Fife had been heavily affected by drug abuse over the last 12 months as they had been left without a parent because of it. He insists that supporting drug addicts in Levenmouth should be made a top priority, as addiction is a serious issue in the area; he believes that eradicating heroin will be the only way to regenerate Levenmouth.

When comparing the current situation to the number of road and drug deaths in the past year (31 drug deaths and 12 road traffic accident deaths) in Fife, Rodger said, ‘Can you imagine what would have been said if road deaths had jumped up to 31? Out of that, 61 children were left without a parent and 37 of those were under 16. We need to see drug addiction as an illness and give people help in any way we can. We need to engage all the different agencies – police, health and the voluntary sector.’

Not Enough Being Done

Rodger is concerned that there is not enough being done to combat the issue, and he is calling for more support from various groups and agencies. He explained that heroin abuse had been a huge problem in the Levenmouth area for years, ‘There are two fronts we need to fight on; the clinical front, which the health service is doing, and the wrap-around to make sure people are able to contribute to the community despite their drug use.’

Top Priorities

The top three priorities for Levenmouth at the moment, he said, are access to employment, education and training; investment and regeneration; and health, wellbeing and the environment. He added, ‘There has also been considerable focus in relation to family support work, especially the needs of lone parents.’

Many children around the world will grow up without a parent due to drug addiction, which can affect them in many ways; they may become depressed or anxious, and some might even turn to drugs themselves as this is all they have known while growing up. Sadly, the majority of addicted parents will not even realise that their child is being affected in this way, as an addiction can totally consume the affected individual to the point where all he or she thinks about is the substance they are abusing.

Extra Mile

If you are concerned that you or a loved one could be suffering from a drug addiction, help is available for you here at Blue Skies Recovery. We will go the extra mile for anybody that reaches out to us as our priority is to ensure all our patients overcome addiction and go on to lead a happy, sober life. If you have any questions relating to our clinic or treatments, do not hesitate to contact us today. We are waiting to take your call.

Source:

1. Call for more help for drug addicts in bid to regenerate area (The Courier)