News

Source - STV News 13/12/11

Thousands of children living with parents with drink problems are at risk of depression, anxiety and increased anger, according to a report.

The findings from health and social care organisation Turning Point highlighted concerns that parents who misuse alcohol risk damaging their children's lives and futures.

The report, called Bottling It Up: The Next Generation, warns that early screening and identification of families is needed urgently to prevent an "inter-generational cycle" of alcohol misuse.

An estimated 2.6 million children across the UK live with parents who are hazardous drinkers, and around 33,000 adults who are in treatment for alcohol problems also have parental responsibilities.

The report revealed that nearly half of people who used Turning Point's alcohol treatment services in 2010 were parents. Their average alcohol consumption was 30 units per day: 24 for mothers and 33 for fathers - or the equivalent of 3 bottles of wine or up to 15 pints of beer.

A total of 3395 children lived with these service users, including extended family members such as cousins or nephews. More than a third were mothers and some said they turned to alcohol in response to the pressure to be "supermums."

Some mothers were drinking more than 70 units a week, the equivalent of nearly eight bottles of wine, and in many cases this drinking was carried out in secret when their children had gone to bed.

A snapshot survey of 100 parents currently using Turning Point's alcohol treatment services also found that 83% worried their drinking impacted on their children, 55% believed it had led to increased anger, anxiety and depression in their children, and 27% felt their drinking increased the risk of anti-social behaviour in their children.

Meanwhile, 28% feared that their drinking undermined their children's chances of academic and work success and 32% said their children had been forced into taking on the role of carer in the family.

A separate poll of more than 1000 people found that nearly a quarter of parents were concerned about their own drinking. More than half (52%) had allowed their children to drink, and of these more than three quarters (77%) let their children aged under 16 consume alcohol.

A total of 6% allowed their children aged 10 and under to drink alcohol.

The Government is set to release an alcohol strategy to address the health and social impacts of drinking. But Turning Point has warned that more needs to be done to help parents and families affected by alcohol misuse.