Substance abuse and child abuse. Impact of addiction on the child.

At least 1 in 10 children in the United States is born into a chemically dependent family. Parental addiction has long-lasting detrimental effects on the health and safety of children. We must mobilize to free children from the double jeopardy of substance abuse and child abuse, and interrupt the multigenerational pattern of both problems. The short-term costs may be high, but the long-term costs will be much higher if we do not act. Simultaneous efforts are needed to prevent and treat both addiction and its too frequent consequence, child maltreatment.