For decades, British governments have pledged to combat substance misuse to reduce the alleged cost of addressing the associated harms said to be diverting billions of pounds from more productive expenditure (Fordham et al, 2007). Yet with unknown numbers of children exposed to substantial ‘hidden harm’ living in adverse environments, there is no choice but to continue ploughing funding into substance misuse to enhance the prospects of the next generation (ACMD, 2003). Having tried and tested several different initiatives, the latest drug policy has resorted to ‘recovery’. Wider issues which contribute to substance misuse are addressed within recovery to hopefully persuade individuals to tackle addiction, become respectful, and eventually
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Not only is the person with the problem adversely affected, but so too are their family and community with difficulties, such as relationship breakdowns, unemployment and crime. Contrary to the common perception of ‘bad parents’, a proportion engages in successful parenting by managing and containing their drug usage (Bernard, 2007). However more often than not, adequate parenting fails to occur and is demonstrated with numerous risks, including children exposed to strained or volatile home environments, or being around and reliant upon parents with reduced capacity to respond to their basic needs (Scie, 2005). In light of the significant concerns, guesstimates predict that approximately 2-300,000 children under 16 within England and Wales are potentially at risk because parents participate in legal or illicit drugs, including prescription medication, alcohol or heroin. What is particularly alarming is this figure will be an underestimation as substance misuse in families tends to remain undetected (ACMD, …show more content…
One example being, children subjected to heavy alcohol consumption within the womb are more likely to develop additional behavioural and learning needs consequential of being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (CDC, 2015). In turn, substance misuse reduces children’s life chances as it exemplifies the risk of harm from abuse or neglect. As well as having poorer short and long-term outcomes, ranging from low self-esteem through to mental ill-health, unemployment and potentially a recurring pattern of substance
Not only is the person with the problem adversely affected, but so too are their family and community with difficulties, such as relationship breakdowns, unemployment and crime. Contrary to the common perception of ‘bad parents’, a proportion engages in successful parenting by managing and containing their drug usage (Bernard, 2007). However more often than not, adequate parenting fails to occur and is demonstrated with numerous risks, including children exposed to strained or volatile home environments, or being around and reliant upon parents with reduced capacity to respond to their basic needs (Scie, 2005). In light of the significant concerns, guesstimates predict that approximately 2-300,000 children under 16 within England and Wales are potentially at risk because parents participate in legal or illicit drugs, including prescription medication, alcohol or heroin. What is particularly alarming is this figure will be an underestimation as substance misuse in families tends to remain undetected (ACMD, …show more content…
One example being, children subjected to heavy alcohol consumption within the womb are more likely to develop additional behavioural and learning needs consequential of being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (CDC, 2015). In turn, substance misuse reduces children’s life chances as it exemplifies the risk of harm from abuse or neglect. As well as having poorer short and long-term outcomes, ranging from low self-esteem through to mental ill-health, unemployment and potentially a recurring pattern of substance