Although not all drug use by a parent will impact on a child, it is recognised that for some children the effect of their parent’s drug use continues from their infancy into their adult lives, and for this reason it is appropriate to use a child development framework to identify issues of concern for children at varying ages and stages of their development.

This paper presents the main issues of concern for children according to their developmental stage. It then addresses various response options and review their effectiveness. This is followed by a presentation of specific case studies, looking at two responses adopted by EU countries and one initiative from the United Kingdom. The paper ends with a discussion of possible future developments, challenges and opportunities.

This paper was commissioned by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) to provide background information to inform and contribute to the drafting of Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide.