Adolescent children of drug-abusing parents

The effects of a substance-abusing parent on a child are wide-spread, and unfortunately they follow that child well into adolescence and adulthood. Cognitive difficulty, poor judgment, and conduct problems are but a few of the sequelae, and similar results are seen whether the drug is alcohol or cocaine or another illicit substance. In addition to affecting the biology of the adolescent from the perinatal period, parental substance abuse often causes a disrupted, chaotic home, financial insecurity, and exposure of the teen to illegal substances and violence. The emotional toll on the adolescent is steep, and the overall cost to the health care system is enormous. Ultimately, many of these adolescents progress to substance abuse themselves. Health care providers need to be sensitive to the possibility of substance abuse in the home, and should aggressively pursue early treatment/therapy options for those teens at risk.