Nearly 19 Million U.S. Children Live In A Household With At Least One Parent With A Substance Use Disorder

In 2023, a total of 18,968,894 children in the U.S. were estimated to be living in a household with at least one parent with a substance use disorder (SUD), according to an analysis of federal data. Children exposed to parental SUD are more likely to develop adverse health outcomes than their peers without parental SUD exposure, including early substance use initiation, substance-related problems, and mental health disorders, the study stated. The researchers concluded that their findings indicate the need for more attention at the federal, state, and local levels on children and families affected by addiction . . .