Substance misuse by children and young people: the role of the family and implications for intervention and prevention

Substance misuse by children and young people is an important public health issue, with levels of use and misuse of alcohol and drugs by British teenagers among the highest in Europe. Many of these children will come to the attention of paediatric services, related to excessive use and/or associated health or other problems. Families can be both affected by and also influence the use and misuse of substances by younger family members. This paper explores the extent of substance use and misuse among children and young people, discusses key issues that are faced by families who are struggling to cope with substance misuse and examines the forms of support and intervention that are available, both to children and young people who misuse alcohol or drugs and to their families. There is good evidence for a range of intervention and prevention strategies, but further work is needed in this area.