Drug and Alcohol Families

It is terrible to see what drug and alcohol use by parents can do to their families.  Drugs take such a strong hold on their users and it is very hard to break free from this.  Children are taken away from their parents and put into foster homes because of their parents' addictions.  This is very sad, but it is usually much sadder to see the living conditions some of these children had been exposed to.  Many times drug users leave drugs, trash, and other harmful things around the house that could harm their children.  Parents who are on drugs are not in the right state of mind to be raising children.  Not only are the children in physical danger just being in their home environment, they are also more likely to be abused and neglected by their drug abusing parents.  Living in such a traumatic environment also takes an emotional toll on the child.  These children are more likely to be depressed, emotionally detached, and may eventually start using drugs as well to try to cover up these emotions.  I think it really shows how powerful drugs are that they are able to break apart such a strong bond that families have.  Being a teacher, I think it would be very hard to deal with a situation in which a parent was using drugs.  No one ever wants to break up a family, but we have to do what is best for the children and their physical and mental well-being.