Question

Why are young children more prone to alcoholism and drug addiction?

Answer 1

Substance use disorders are a significant public health concern and rank among the most common psychiatric disorders beginning in young adulthood [1]. These disorders are highly disabling, frequently co-occur with and even exacerbate other mental and physical health problems, and show a strong familial pattern [2,3]. For example, in studies of community samples, children of substance abusing parents are more than twice as likely to have an alcohol and/or drug use disorder themselves by young adulthood as compared to their peers [4]. Moreover, children of substance abusing parents are at risk for a wide variety of other negative outcomes, including emotional, social, and behavioral adjustment problems as well as challenges in cognitive and academic functioning. Risk for poor emotional and behavioral outcomes among children living with a parent who has a substance abuse history are reported among those as young as 2 to 3 years of age [5–7].

Not surprisingly, these elevated rates of disturbance increase the use of public health services for children of substance abusing parents, with these children and their families over-represented in welfare, mental health, and special education services [8]. Moreover, recent estimates indicate that 11 percent of all children live in families where one or more parents abuse alcohol or other drugs [8]. Thus, children of substance abusing parents are both a large and multi-risk population deserving of effective services. For these reasons, the need to target these children and their families as a vulnerable group is among the top health priorities identified by the Surgeon General in his 2007 report on underage drinking [9]. Despite this clear need, few empirically-supported prevention programs target this at-risk population. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that many children of substance abusing parents are resilient and show positive outcomes despite the risks to which they are exposed. Although some studies estimate that as many as half of these children will develop a substance use disorder by young adulthood, clearly the same number do not

Answer 2

becuz this is a stage of incomplete knowledge about all including things and they don't understand what is correct and what is not .hence, they get prone to this above .....mentioned things as they are not fully mature they are still uncomfortable with their physical changes and also because of moodswings.
that's all