Children whose parents use drugs - Promising practices and recommendations (2022)

Parental drug use affects children at every stage of their lives, from before birth and well into their adult lives

The aim of this report is to shed light on an invisible population: children and adolescents living in families where at least one parent uses drugs. This focus on children exposed to parental dependence on drugs and alcohol implies helping them and their families to overcome dependence and its consequences. Parental drug use impacts children at every stage of their lives, from before birth and well into their adult lives. However, until now, this situation has received very little attention. This report looks at children growing up in families affected by drug and alcohol dependence, as well as the services, programmes and practices that help protect childhood and ensure children’s needs are met, while at the same time addressing the needs of parents.

This project is part of the Pompidou Group’s mission of integrating human rights into drug policy. It was proposed in response to the Council of Europe’s invitation to the Pompidou Group Secretariat to participate in the Inter-Secretariat Task Force on Children’s Rights and to contribute to the discussions on the themes which should appear in the new Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2022-2027).

The contents, conclusions and recommendations presented in the report contribute to the growing knowledge and interest in this topic and serve as a practical reference for the identification of promising practices and international partners. Far from being a conclusion, this report is the first step in a joint effort to give visibility to children of parents who use drugs and a tool to foster cooperation and dialogue that will continue in 2022 with Phase III of the project.