ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, SportsAlcoholic Parents

New research indicates more than one in ten children in the U. S. live with at least one alcoholic parent.

That is the finding of a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The federal agency studied data from 2005 to 2010 and found an average of 7.5 million children lived with a parent who abused alcohol.

That's a striking 10.5 per cent of the U.S. population under age 18 and their parents' drinking problems take a toll on the kids.

They are at greater risk of such mental health problems as depression and anxiety.

And they are more likely to suffer abuse or neglect by their parents.

The agency head calls this an enormous public health problem underscoring the importance of preventing alcohol abuse and underage drinking.