A parent's job is to raise, protect, and care for their child. When parents are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, their actions are not their own, which can lead to a harmful home environment. “The 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that 8.3 million children live with at least one parent who abused or was dependent on alcohol or an illicit drug in the past year” (“ Protect children"). Figure 1 shows the number of children under the age of eighteen living with one or more substance-dependent parents in 2002. Growing up in this type of environment negatively influences the thoughts and behaviors of the children who live there. Children should be protected by extended family and/or the government from the consequences that may result from living in homes where parental substance use occurs. One could easily argue that parents possess the right to live as they choose and raise their children as they see fit. . A parent who chooses to use drugs may claim to be perfectly capable of raising children simply by virtue of being an adult. What this argument doesn't take into consideration are the effects of parents' substance use on their children. It would also be easy to imagine the trauma children might suffer if they were removed from their parents' care. Separation can cause children to exhibit mood disorders, poor social skills, low self-esteem, etc.; however, removing children from their parents is often the best course of action in the situation (“Effects of Separation and Attachment”). Removal allows you to take care of both parents and children with the goal of future reunion. Children living in substance-using environments or... middle of paper... Growing up is a difficult enough task, so adding parental substance use makes it even more problematic. Works Cited “Children of Addicted Parents.” Networks of hope. National Association of Children of Alcoholics, nd Web. November 22, 2013."Children living with substance-dependent or substance-abusing parents." Samhsa. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, n.d. Web. November 24, 2013. “Effects of Separation and Attachment.” Practical notes. Jordan Institute for Families, n.d. Web. November 25, 2013. “Protecting Children in Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders.” Information portal on children's well-being. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009. Web. November 18, 2013. “Protecting Children with Parents Who Use Drugs and Alcohol.” Nottinghamcity.gov.uk. Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Boards, May 2009. Web. 18 November. 2013.