University of Vermont to study the effects of family drug addiction on children

The University of Vermont is partnering with the state Agency of Education to conduct a study on the outcomes of children being raised in opioid-addicted households.

Vermont as a state has been struggling with the growing problem of drug dependency and is making a concerted effort to combat the negative effects of addiction. The study was partly inspired by a letter the governor received from a principal in the Vermont school system, detailing the problems he had been having coping with the emotional, academic and developmental needs of children who had been badly injured by a parent's drug addiction.

The study will be conducted by Dr. Abby Crocker, who hopes to gain insight into the effects of parental addiction on children, thereby allowing schools to develop more effective plans of action to help those students affected.

"We know substance abuse in this state is an issue," Dr. Crocker told the Vermont Digger. "We don't really know what's happening long term… Let's use that enthusiasm and ground it in a data-driven discussion. Without having the data, you're just throwing darts."

If you believe you are suffering from drug addiction, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center, one of the best drug addiction treatment facilities in the nation. Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef founded the center in 1989 to employ his dual diagnosis method of treatment, allowing patients to achieve long​-term recovery.

Dual diagnosis includes not only clinical treatment, but also therapeutic counseling that addresses the underlying psychological pain that causes people to turn to drugs in the first place. Dr. El-Yousef recognizes that addiction is a subtle and complicated disease, requiring several levels of physical, mental and emotional treatment before individuals are ready to return to their families and mend their lives.