Children, Parents, & Substance Abuse
Almost 12 percent of children under the age of 18 live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year, according to a report from SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).
Children Living with Substance-Dependent or Substance-Abusing Parents: 2002 to 2007 indicates:
- Almost 7.3 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol.
- About 2.1 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused illicit drugs.
- Approximately 5.4 million children lived with a father who met the criteria for past-year substance dependence or abuse, and 3.4 million lived with a mother who met the criteria.
According to the report, parental substance dependence and abuse can have profound effects on children, including child abuse and neglect, injuries, and deaths related to motor vehicle accidents, and increased odds that the children will become substance dependent or abusers themselves.
Download Children Living with Substance-Dependent or Substance-Abusing Parents: 2002 to 2007.
Download other reports related to children and families.