In a poll of 353 families in England and Northern Ireland, 60% of families caring for an adult or child with severe learning problems did not get the support needed. An article on BBC News reported that the Charity Mencap is calling for councils to give every family regular short breaks.

“Short breaks can involve people with learning disabilities going into respite care for a short period or carers coming into the person’s home to allow their family to take a break”. Apparently there are approximately 1.5m people with learning disabilities in the UK, though only 251,000 have serious enough conditions to qualify for disability living allowance.

Those on the highest rate of allowance should get a minimum of one break per week according to Mencap. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said, “Mencap is quite right to point out that extra resources must be made available to ensure families can enjoy the breaks they need and deserve.”

“I can’t carry on much longer and I shouldn’t have to”, was a quote from one individual caring for her 18-year-old grandson.

Experts believe that children of alcoholics are four times more likely to be addicted to drink and there is also a risk of other addictions, including drug and gambling problems an article on BBC News reports today.

The Priory study reviewed existing data on crime, abuse and alcoholism and consulted its own doctors and therapists to compile the report. The report said “growing up in an alcoholic household was inextricably linked to abuse”, but continued to say “children reacted in one of three ways - either they became withdrawn, went into denial or used the experience to benefit themselves by becoming stronger”.

Researchers said previous studies had revealed that 70% of children of alcoholics develop compulsive behaviour around either alcohol, drugs, food, sex, work or gambling, and around half ended up marrying alcoholics.

Professor Martin Plant, an addiction expert at the University of the West of England, did end on a positive note by saying, “the children of alcoholics can break the cycle, many end up loathing alcohol and refusing to let it destroy their lives like it may have done to their parents.”

An article published in The Guardian reports that the government has missed its target on cutting deaths from drug abuse. The UK apparently has the highest number of drug users of any country in Europe and according to figures published this week, there has been a big surge in the numbers of predominantly young people who have died since 2003 from drug abuse.

In 2002, the government’s aim was to reduce drug-related deaths by 20% between 1999 and 2004. The Office for National Statistics figures show that deaths did come down, but by only 9% overall, following a rise in 2003. The ONS figures also showed that drug misuse was the third most common cause of death among young people after traffic accidents and suicide.