Service sees record numbers of children bereaved due to a parent’s drinking

News Charities break the silence for Children of Alcoholics Week, 11-17 February 2024

New research: Carrier sees record numbers of children bereaved due to a
parent’s drinking

Analysis of latest helpline data by Nacoa (the National Association for Children of
Alcoholics) reveals that requests for assist from children bereaved due to a parent’s drinking have sharply risen from 29% in 2020 to 39% in 2023.

“Or not it’s been so hard to watch my niece and her two children battle by means of this over the years – even harder to watch them walk at the back of their dad’s coffin last week. Thank goodness there are organisations worship Nacoa to assist”.
Helpline caller

The information comes amidst fresh ONS figures exhibiting that alcohol-specific
deaths have increased 27% since 2019. Female alcohol deaths have increased
37% over five years.

55% of children of alcohol-dependent parents calling Nacoa portray facing critical mental
harm by means of anxiety (60%), stress (51%), and melancholy (41%). Also, 26%
of callers skilled abuse, together with emotional, physical and sexual abuse
and neglect.

Annual calls to the Nacoa helpline climbed to over 33,000 in 2023.

MPs and charities join forces to plead with the authorities to reinstate the
abandoned authorities strategy for children of alcohol-dependent parents

The Alcohol Families Alliance and the Chairs of the major alcohol APPGs have
written a joint letter to health minister Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP
appealing to her to re-prioritise these children after all dedicated enhance
was nick in 2021.

Within the wake of each lifestyles lost lies a family struggling to fetch the items.

Regardless of the authorities investing £267 million into drug and alcohol
treatment companies, no funds have been ring-fenced for dedicated companies for
children and families. Fair now, there isn’t very any verbalize plan in place to enhance
those experiencing this mental harm and abuse.

Emily, 11-years-dilapidated, has also written to the authorities pleading for assist:

“Please change the law around alcohol and assist children worship me so not as
many other folks halt up worship this. In case you even care about lives and want to save
extra other folks, then the NHS obtained’t be so busy! Please I beg you! Please assist
Nacoa to assist children of alcoholics so they can be happyer [sic] and have
someone to understand them. I leave out my dad so considerable and so does my
brother. I can be so happy if you assist us all please.”

The Fair Hon. Jonathan Ashworth MP will be announced all by means of the week as
a patron of Nacoa. He’s a passionate advocate for supporting children of
alcoholics.

Children of Alcoholics Week 2024
#COAWeek2024, 11 to 17 February 2024

COA Week (Children of Alcoholics Week) is the annual calendar occasion to raise
awareness for the 2.6 million children within the UK affected by a parent’s
drinking.

This year’s COA Week theme is ‘Breaking the silence’. Too many children and
children feel their parent’s alcohol complications are their accountability and
a shameful secret to sustain. But finding information and enhance is vital to
break the cycle and make healthy alternatives.

Breaking the silence means finding a relied on individual to speak to about the
things you are going by means of. It means finding a moment to your self to hear
the experiences of others. It means educating other adults in society.

Without enhance, we know that these are some of the most vulnerable
children you can imagine within the UK. Being extra likely to
gain addictions themselves, as smartly as combat in faculty, be in pains
with police, gain an eating disorder, or sustain in mind suicide. Together, we can assist
them take a varied path.

Nacoa lead the week’s activities centered on furthering the wellbeing of these
vulnerable children within the UK. Activities are also held across the globe,
together with Europe, India, Korea and america.

Campaign messages

• The UK Govt is failing the most vulnerable children of
  alcoholics, offering no targeted enhance.

• Being a baby of an alcoholic is ‘a factor’.

• Living with parental addiction leaves lasting impacts.

• Children deserve to be helped of their hang honest.

• With assist and enhance, they can dart on to break the cycle of addiction.

Calls to action

• Frontline companies need to be extra aware of the family secret of
  addiction.

• The Govt ought to reinstate enhance for children of alcoholics.

• We want to promote the voices of children of alcoholics within the public sphere.

• Challenge stigma that retains vulnerable children silenced.

Film star enhance

• Nacoa patrons include: Tony Adams OBE, Calum Most efficient, Rt Hon Liam
  Byrne MP, David Coldwell, Lorri Haines, Geraldine James OBE, Cherie
  Lunghi, Elle Macpherson, Vicky Pattison, Chanita Stephenson and
  Camilla Tominey.

Quotes:

“Information of expansive increase of parental alcohol deaths is devastating to hear for
children’s charities worship us, who glance the daily impacts of parental
addiction on children. COA Week helps us to be aware that alcohol
complications affect your full family. At the back of these statistics are mothers and
fathers whose children will have been living with the chaos of someone else’s
drinking. But with greater awareness and enhance, we are able to assist children to
gather healthy ways to cope and break the cycle of addiction.”
Hilary Henriques MBE, Chief Govt of Nacoa UK

“I felt so alone increasing up with alcoholism within the family. You blame your self
and marvel what you are doing nefarious. Why can’t they fancy you adequate to
stop? As an adult, I now know that there was nothing I may perhaps have executed, however I
want I had known Nacoa existed and that you are never alone—there is
always someone who understands. Since making my documentary, ‘Alcohol,
dad, and me’, I’ve met so many amazing other folks by means of Nacoa, and am
proud to be part of this work serving to some of the most vulnerable children in
the UK today.”
Vicky Pattison, TV star, author and podcaster

“We want systematic change to offer protection to children and their families from
alcohol harm. The authorities have to create a fresh alcohol strategy to tackle
alcohol harm and include specific measures to enhance families and offer protection to
children.”
Professor Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance

++ Ends ++

News ***Embargoed except 11 February 2024, 01:00am*** 

Contact:

Communications:

Communications lead: Piers Henriques, 0785 553 3962,
communications@nacoa.org.uk 

Nacoa Ambassador: Josh Connolly, 0790 517 8873,
joshconnolly1987@gmail.com

Nacoa Co-founder and CEO: Hilary Henriques, 07506 744 771,
ceo@nacoa.org.uk

Nacoa: 0117 924 8005
admin@nacoa.org.uk
coaweek@nacoa.org.uk

Editors Notes:

• There are an estimated 2.6 million children within the UK living with a parent who drinks too considerable.

• Sadly, complications often persist into adulthood. Thousands and thousands of adults are peaceful affected by their parent’s drinking

• Children living with parental alcoholism are:

  • Six times as likely to glance home violence

  • 5 times as likely to gain an eating topic

  • Three times as likely to sustain in mind suicide

  • Twice as likely to trip difficulties at faculty

  • Three times as likely to gain alcoholism or addiction

  • Twice as likely to be in pains with the police

• Nacoa (registered charity no. 1009143) was based in 1990 to
  provide information, advice and enhance to all people affected by a
  parent’s drinking or similar addictive topic. That is equipped by means of a free and confidential
  telephone and email helpline and online page. Helpline: 0800 358 3456,
  Email: helpline@nacoa.org.uk, online page: www.nacoa.org.uk

• Nacoa has answered to over 524,000 calls since 1990.

• www.coaweek.org.uk suggests ways to obtain eager and contains downloadable assets.