MP calls for more support for children of alcoholics

An MP whose mother and father were both alcoholics is calling for more support for children whose parents have serious drink problems.

The Conservative MP for Mid-Norfolk, George Freeman, warned the "carnage" caused by alcohol dependency was more likely to see children ending up in care.

Freeman is leading a group of MPs who want stronger safeguarding and improved mental health support for young people.

The government has said it is giving councils £1bn of "drug and alcohol treatment and recovery improvement grants over the next three years".

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa) charity has warned 2.6 million children have a parent with a drink dependency.

"The loneliness of dealing with an alcoholic parent is very severe," warned Freeman, who said the alcoholism of his father – Grand National-winning jockey Arthur Freeman – led to suffering in his family.

Eventually, his mother developed a problem as well, he said.

"If you're putting your parent to bed, if you're calling the police, if you're monitoring the bottles, if you're dealing with all the carnage that serious alcohol dependency wreaks…and the deceit that comes with addiction, these are things nobody should really have deal to with on their own," he said.

He also said children of alcoholics were more likely to witness domestic violence, suffer mental health problems and were "three times more likely to end up in care".

"They may develop their own alcoholism or addictive issues," said Amy Dickson from Nacoa – whose work on the charity's education outreach programme takes her into schools, colleges and universities.

"We estimate one in five children and young people in the UK are affected by this issue - and that will be across all of society," she added.

Freeman has become chair of a group of politicians in the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children of Alcoholics.

He told a debate in Parliament that it aimed "to set out a manifesto of reasonable, deliverable, fundable, understandable and relevant reforms that we hope the Government can work with us on".

In response, health minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said the government was "laser-focused on improving outcomes" for children and had been investing in local alcohol treatment services.

"That includes the overall £1 billion of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery improvement grants over the next three years," he added.