Scots Kids At Risk From Boozing Parents

93,000 youngsters are adversely affected by their parents' alcohol misuse, says the new figures showed by the Scottish Government. The review given by Children 1^st, one of Scotland's leading child welfare charities, adds that children are potentially at the risks of emotional psychological and verbal abuse due to their parents' "problematic use" use of alcohol.

The charity is urging people to take more responsibility through ‘Wish I Wasn’t here Campaign’ to protect their children. The aim of this initiative is to highlight the impact of alcohol-fuelled violence on children by featuring postcards from the children who remember their holidays for all wrong reasons. The campaign was launched earlier this summer and hence ParentLine Scotland has taken around 25 calls from those people who are concerned that children may be subject to abuse, violence and emotional conflict as a direct result of their parents' drinking habits.

Alcohol Use Disorder | Alcoholism
Alcohol use disorder or alcoholism is an inability to control drinking. It can cause short term and long term physical, as well as psychological effects on the patient.

Anne Houston, Chief Executive of Children 1^st says that from their works with children to help them recover from physical and emotional trauma fuelled by alcohol misuse, they know that it impacts the children for many years and they suffer from some depression, anxiety and low-esteem. She adds that too many children are missing their childhood due to their parents alcohol misuse and it's everybody’s responsibility to stop this from happening.

In one postcard written by a young girl Hayley, she tells how a day out to a bowling alley was ruined when her father got drunk, caused a fight and the family were asked to leave that place.

Marco Biagi, MSP for Edinburgh Central and a member of the Education and Sport Committee, pledged his support to this thoughtful initiative. He says that it has been known for some time that children often bear the brunt of such shameful attitude to alcohol but the figures show the intensity of the problem. He adds that campaigners like Children 1^st remind just why addressing alcohol consumption and its impact on children in necessary and important.

Alcohol
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The Scottish Government has made tackling this problem as their major source of concern with the changes in licensing, greater support to the health of problem drinkers and by introducing a minimum price for alcohol. It is believed that these steps provide a real chance of helping those children at the risk of parental consumption and ensuring children get the best possible start in their life.

References:

7.5 Million US Kids Live With Alcoholic Parent
More than one in 10 children in the United States are living with a single-parent who has struggled with alcohol abuse over the past year.

1. http://news.stv.tv/politics/140953-one-in-ten-children-at-risk-because-of-parental-drinking-charity-claims/

2. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/parental-drinking-putting-children-at-risk.18556295

Coaching Children to Shun Alcohol, Substance Abuse
A team of scientists have come out with a program to assist children and young adults to abstain from alcohol and substance abuse.

3. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/figures-reveal-children-are-at-risk-of-abuse-1257644

Source-Medindia