Entertainment publicist and adult child of addiction pens new children’s book to discuss life with addicted parents

My Parents Have a Drug Problem by Adrienne Alexander-Allen helps start the conversation surrounding addiction with children

Long before the Department of Health and Human Services declared opioid addiction a public health emergency in 2017; there was crack cocaine and the crack epidemic of the early 1980s and 1990s. Although both forms of addiction come with serious repercussions, there is nothing more serious than the children who live through these addictions with their parents without a choice.

Statistics

According to an article released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of children and families in the US are affected by opioid use and other substance use disorders or misuse challenges. Adrienne Alexander-Allen was one of those children.

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, a city once referred as “ground zero” for killing Black Americans due to the opioid epidemic, Adrienne witnessed firsthand the effects of having addicted parents. After figuring out that the behaviors exhibited by her parents weren’t the behaviors of other parents, her father would lose his life to the addiction, and years would pass before she was able to let her mother go.

“As a previous employee of Baltimore City DJS, I saw my story play out over and over again in real-time with the children who enter detention. Whether it be one parent, both parents, or a family member, most children entering the system have been affected by drug use in their homes. So much emphasis is placed on the addict or recovering addict but not the children. We aren’t having these conversations because children aren’t asking the questions, and children aren’t asking the questions because this behavior is normal for them,” said Adrienne Alexander-Allen.

My Parents Have a Drug Problem

To shed light on this issue, Adrienne has penned a book aimed at children dealing with similar issues she faced with parents battling addiction.

My Parents Have a Drug Problem was written as a children’s book to be relatable to younger children who can’t yet understand the effects their parent’s addiction has on their lives. The book includes teachable moments that help guide the conversation and ask questions otherwise overlooked or forgotten. The My Parents Have a Drug Problem accompanying guide, A Guide to Talking to Children About Drug Addiction, takes a closer look at addiction and gives some tips on talking to children about addiction and what their parents may be experiencing.

My Parents Have a Drug Problem is available for purchase on Amazon.