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Katelyn Rogers
Mrs. DeBock
English 4 Honors
February 18, 2016
Essential Question: How do drugs affect families?
Working Thesis: Teenage drug abuse negatively affect families.
Refined Thesis: Teenage drug abuse negatively affect families financially and emotionally.
Annotated Bibliography
Bernabeo, Paul, ed. Drugs and Society. 2006 ed. Vol. 2. New York: Marshall Cavendish
Reference, 2006. Print. Drug Laws-Overdose
Drugs affect families in a multitude of ways. Once a loved one is addicted to drugs, the
family bond is never the same. Communication is impaired. Nobody can really talk the same and
when words are spoken, it is very anxious most of the time. It can cause the roles of the family to
change. The younger sibling now has to take on the roles of the older sibling which could
become a bad thing. It can force a young child to grow up way faster than needed. The emotional
and psychological well-being of the family members is affected tremendously. Drugs can really
affect the mental stability of the family members. It is exhausting wondering if that person is
okay or safe. This can also affect the physical condition of the family members because a lot of
the time, the family members do not sleep because they stay up all night thinking about how their
son/daughter/brother/or sister is. It puts a huge emotional toll on the parents of the child that is

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abusing drugs because, in their eyes, it is their fault. Most often think, there was something they
did wrong or something they could have done better to prevent it. This article is relevant to my
research because it shows the emotional affects it has on the other family members.

"Drug Addiction And Its Effects On the Family [analysis]." Africa News Service 28 July 2011.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Many drug addicts do not have jobs or any way to support themselves so they have to
rely on their families. This puts the family under a lot of stress. The family not only has to take
care the drug addict family member, but they also have to wonder if their items are safe from
being stolen. When a drug addict does not have money, that person will do anything to get their
hand on money in order to get the next fix. Some families just get tired of the constant worry and
having to take care of them, that they just kick them out onto the streets which can either lead the
drug addict down an even more dangerous path or it can show them the positive side. Other
families never give up, but they spend a lot of their money in order to help this family member
which does not always help. Drug addiction causes many broken homes and a lot of the time, the
family is never healed. This article is relevant to my research because it shows how drugs can
affect the family financially. The article shows how it makes families emotionally unstable as
well.

Lameman, Beth Aileen. "Drug and Alcohol Abuse Damages Family Relationships."
Interventions. Ed. Susan Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing
Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Effects of Substance Abuse on Families: How Drug and Alcohol

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Abuse Affects Families and Steps to Recovery for All Family Members." Chicago
Tribune 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
There is a lot of arguments between a drug addict and his/her family. A huge argument
that happens most of the time, is about money. Most addicts lose their job which means they
have to depend on everyone else to make their money for them. When they cannot afford their
habit anymore, they get frustrated and sometimes can become violent for the money they need to
get the drug. Many times, drugs can cause you to just be a violent person to your family
memebers and those are the people you would have never thought of laying a hand on. It creates
emotional trauma for your family members. Seeing a family member addicted to drugs can really
cause a lot of emotional issues for the other family members. It also can cause other family
members to follow your path. Especially if kids see a family member do that. They are more
prone to become that way. Drug addicts put a lot of emotional stress on families. This article is
relevant to my research because it shows how the drug addict can act towards the other family
members and how it affects every single person in the household and even outside of the home in
a negative way, emotionally.

"Drug Abuse Hurts Families." Easy to Read Drug Facts. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
When family members take drugs, they often lie and steal money to find drugs. You
cannot count on them to do anything you ask them to do because a lot of the time, they end up
forgetting due to the need and want to do drugs. Drug abuse can use up the familys money. The

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parents might not to be able to work because anything can happen when it comes to a drug
addict. The drug addict may also lose their jobs which means they will not have money. This
makes them more prone to stealing money and manipulating anyone into giving them money.
The kids could go without food, electricity, heat, etc. Having a drug addict in the family can
become very dangerous for the other family members. They can put the family in scary situations
if they are dealing drugs or personally know the drug dealers. Families have to be in a constant
state of worry for the family member that is using drugs. This article is relevant to my research
because it shows how drug addicts will make the financial situation in the family go downhill
repeatedly.

"Effects on the Family." - Drug and Alcohol Information and Support in Ireland. Web. 17 Feb.
2016.
When a son or daughter is addicted to drugs, the parents often argue because they have
different views on how to handle the situation. The other children in the family can also get
blamed for some of the stuff happening and they can also be blamed and portrayed as giving a
bad example to the addicted sibling. The sibling that is addicted to the drugs gets so much
attention from everyone, including the parents, they dont really pay attention to the other
children in the family. The other kids could feel neglected and un-cared for. This also causes the
parents to argue and wonder if they are parenting the right way. This article is relevant to my
research because it shows the emotional toll it takes on not only the parents but also the siblings
of the drug abuser.

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Treatment, Center For Substance Abuse. "Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy."
Chapter 2 Impact of Substance Abuse on Families. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Drugs impair your judgement towards situations and can put a drug user in risky
situations which can potentially lead the family member to be a part of the risky situation. Drugs
also cause some teens to become very violent and have violent outbursts. It makes them
impulsive and makes them act on it whenever they feel enraged. This puts most of the family in
danger of being hurt physically by the drug user in the family. The drug user might not be the
type to do that sober, but the drug user does not think before they act when under the influence.
When younger siblings see their brother/sister abusing drugs, the sibling might think it is okay to
do drugs too. It sets a very bad example for the rest of the family, especially the younger
children. This article is relevant to my research because it shows the dangers and the influence it
has on the emotional aspect of the other family members.

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Works Cited
Bernabeo, Paul, ed. Drugs and Society. 2006 ed. Vol. 2. New York: Marshall Cavendish
Reference, 2006. Print. Drug Laws-Overdose
"Drug Addiction And Its Effects On the Family [analysis]." Africa News Service 28 July 2011.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Lameman, Beth Aileen. "Drug and Alcohol Abuse Damages Family Relationships." Interventions. Ed.
Susan Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Effects of
Substance Abuse on Families: How Drug and Alcohol Abuse Affects Families and Steps to
Recovery for All Family Members." Chicago Tribune 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.
Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
"Drug Abuse Hurts Families." Easy to Read Drug Facts. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
"Effects on the Family." - Drug and Alcohol Information and Support in Ireland. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Treatment, Center For Substance Abuse. "Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy." Chapter 2
Impact of Substance Abuse on Families. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.