This is Children of Alcoholics Week

February 12-18, 2012 is Children of Alcoholics Week – A Celebration of Hope and Healing – Across Generations. The week calls attention to the one in four children under the age of 18 who are exposed to a family alcohol problem, and the many others affected by parental drug abuse.

Children of Alcoholics Week “celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and loss suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering,” according to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA), which sponsors the week.

NACoA states that preschool children of alcoholics have poorer language skills. School-age children of alcoholics are at risk for being worried, distracted and absent, the group says. These children may be at greater risk of both mental and physical health risks.

For materials and resources on Children of Alcoholics Week, visit www.nacoa.org.