The structure of the American family can be extremely complicated. There are traditional nuclear families, single-parent families, step-families, and multigenerational families. No matter what unique structure a family may possess, when one or two members suffer from drug addiction, it can cause a drastic shift on the well-being of the family, especially when there are children involved. The effects can be especially dramatic in families that include addicted parents. When parents use drugs, they might not live up to their obligations, potentially losing their jobs, coming home late, and even becoming violent. These consequences of addiction can be detrimental to both the physical and emotional well-being of their children. In extreme cases, children of addicts may find themselves homeless due to stress, neglect, imprisonment, or divorce. Even if the parent ceases to abuse drugs, the long-term effects may still weigh the child. Although nothing may appear to be amiss on the surface, children of drug addicts may need to enroll in an addiction recovery program, which if done early, can be effective in a short span of time. The Facts So Far The statistics concerning the children of addicts in the United States is saddening. More than 28 million Americans are children of alcoholics. Due to their parent’s addiction, such children are four times likely to become alcoholics themselves. In 2013 alone, more than 1.8 million new drug addicts were younger than the age of 18. A survey conducted on…