HELP FOR CHILDREN OF DRUG ABUSERS GIVEN TOP PRIORITY

THOUSANDS of Scottish children living with parents who misuse drugs and
alcohol are targeted by new child protection guidance published by the
Scottish Executive today.

The guidance, Getting Our Priorities Right, is designed to help up to
160,000 Scottish children living with problem drug or alcohol users.
Research shows such children can be at risk of neglect and abuse, but the
executive believes that their needs have been overlooked.

The guidance provides advice to drug or alcohol addiction professionals,
children's services, and criminal justice agencies on how to identify
problems that may threaten children's well-being.

Opposition parties have welcomed the guidance, but have criticised the lack
of firm statistics about the number of children living in such circumstances
in Scotland.

Cathy Jamieson, minister for education and young people, said: "Our recent
child protection review made it very clear that we need to take action to
stop vulnerable children falling through gaps in provision.

"This new guidance stresses that agencies must work together across Scotland
to improve joint working and information sharing."

"Helen", a 12-year-old quoted in the document, said: "My parents started
giving me alcohol when I was one to put me to sleep. I got taken to hospital
to have my stomach pumped."

Sandy Cameron, executive director of social work at South Lanarkshire
Council, called the impact of drug misuse on children "one of the most
worrying situations I've seen in 30 years".

The executive believes 40,000 to 60,000 children are affected by parents'
drug misuse and 80,000 to 100,000 by parents' alcohol misuse.

Lyndsay McIntosh, social justice spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives,
said: "Quantifying the number of drug users and number of children who are
affected is anyone's guess. If you don't know how big the problem is, how
can you hope to address it?"