Children bearing brunt of parental drug abuse
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Substance abuse is contributing to more children being removed from their homes (ABC News: file photo)
New South Wales Community Services Minister Linda Burney says drugs such as ice are contributing to a rise in reports about substance abuse by parents and carers.
The Department of Community Services (DoCS) recorded a 24 per cent increase in the number of calls it received about drug and alcohol abuse by carers during the period from 2006 to 2007.
Ms Burney says the figures show that nearly one in five reports made to the service relate to substance abuse by people caring for children.
She says it is contributing to more children being removed from their homes.
"We know that there has been an increase or a jump in violent attacks on children as a result of things like ice, speed those sorts of drugs," she said.
"The long-term lifetime effects of children that grow up in homes where there are serious drug and alcohol issues are devastating."
Ms Burney says DOCS workers are handling the increased workload.
"What we've put in place is increased and better training for our case workers to deal specifically with the jump in the number of complaints or abuse cases involving drug and alcohol use," she said.
