Effects of Parents’ Addiction on Children

As clinical director of Children’s Institute International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect, I am far too familiar with the horrors described in “Orphans of Addiction” (Nov. 16-17). When children spend their formative years in a substance abusing family, dealing with nightmares that most of us cannot even imagine, a whole new set of social problems is created. If we don’t help these children now, we will be taking care of them in another way years down the road--in the juvenile court or welfare system.

Your series, in its brutally honest words and images, put a face on a problem that is normally only seen by those of us in the child welfare arena. Hopefully, the compelling stories detailed in the articles will draw attention to the need for more programs dedicated to helping the innocent victims of substance abuse.

HERSHEL SWINGER PhD

Clinical Director, Children’s Institute International, L.A

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The articles proved two things: 1) That the reporter and photographer would go to any length for a story, including allowing innocent children to go hungry and to remain at risk of severe neglect and physical and sexual abuse without contacting proper authorities; and 2) that the Department of Children and Family Services has a serious public relations problem, when neighbors refuse to report the situation for fear that the children will end up in a worse situation.

CAROL A. RICHARDSON

Los Angeles

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I have been a police officer for the past 18 years. For the past eight years I have been assigned to a narcotic investigation unit. Among the images that have left me totally bewildered was a series of events that occurred a few years ago just before Christmas.

I was working an undercover assignment conducting an investigation at a local motel. Some uniformed officers were delivering toys and food items donated to one of the police community outreach programs. I watched as these “care packages” were delivered to people living in the motel. As the uniformed officers left the motel complex, a man in a room just adjacent to mine walked out of his room with the toys and food items. His children were crying and begging him for the toys and the food that the officers had just delivered. The man walked away from his children and began asking neighboring people if they would buy the items. Eventually he found a buyer and made his way to the room of the target of my investigation, another man selling cocaine and methamphetamine. The man, having purchased his drugs, made his way to the parking lot to take the drugs that he had acquired.

I called for some of the local patrol officers, and directed them to the man. He was arrested and I ensured that another care package was delivered to the drug addict’s children and wife. These events have been with me over the years. Addicts will risk their freedom, their health, their lives and even the lives of their children for one more high.

Over the years I have seen many debates over the legalization of drugs take place. The debate has always centered on the drug addict. Those who view drug addiction as a victimless crime need only look as far as your articles to see the true victims of drugs. Most drug addicts steal to support their addictions, but wind up stealing the childhood and the safe well-being from their children.To legalize the use of hard drugs is to legalize the behavior that you chronicled in your article.

DET. MIKE GINTHER

Costa Mesa Police Department

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“Orphans of Addiction” was heart-wrenching. Young children are full of love, intensely curious, eager to please and very vulnerable. They are continually pushing the edge of their growing little worlds, constantly testing their limits. To see all of that potential choked off is heartbreaking.

It seems so obvious, to me, that an investment by society in the early years of children could help save many of these little lost souls. The parents are hopeless in their fanatical search for the ultimate high. This is so sad because the ultimate high is the love their children want so badly to give them. They have forfeited any right to raise their children until they can control their own lives. Intervention at an early age would be expensive, but probably cheaper than housing many of these individuals for five, 10 or more years in prisons when they are older. I hope society recognizes the value of investing in our children.

PHILIP S. BEAUCHAMP

Chino Hills