The book examines the impact of drug use on all members of the familyincluding the reactions of parents whose child is using drugs, siblingrelationships and the affects of parental drug use on children.
In 2003, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs published HiddenHarm, its watershed report on parental drug misuse. Not only did itraise awareness, but it was also the catalyst for improvements inservice provision and inter-agency working. But Barnard argues that itis not just about systems and processes and she believes there is a needto drill down to, and possibly change, assumptions and relationshipsbetween practitioners and families.
One key assumption is that a parent who misuses drugs is not necessarilya bad parent. However, as Barnard is right to emphasise, we do not helpparents or their children if we fail to recognise the potential fortheir parental capacity to be compromised, and attempts not tostigmatise should not outweigh the need and preparedness to intervene.For this point alone, the book should be compulsory reading for anyonein contact with a member of a family affected by drug use.
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