Research Paper on:
Children and the Impact of Substance Abuse

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
mothers intake of the Thalidomide drug during pregnancy to combat morning sickness. While current research regarding this issue, not surprisingly, overwhelmingly indicates that substance abuse detrimentally affects child development,  because there are so many variables which can influence outcomes, there has been a rush to judgment that has tended to cloud the issue. It is, therefore, recommended that  any student who is writing about this topic evaluate the matter from a pros and cons perspective before drawing definitive conclusions. The effects of substance abuse are experienced by children  while they are still in utero, often months before they pass through the birth canal. Because the effects of alcohol are more detectable than those of other substance abuses,  particularly in fetuses, they have generated the greatest number of research studies (Meade, 2002). The effects of alcohol abuse during pregnancy include high percentages of birth defects and mental  retardation and are reported to contribute to hyperactivity, impaired development of motor skills and brain dysfunction (most notably, seizures) (Meade, 2002). According to several research studies, children of substance-abusing  parents are more likely to continue the pattern of substance abuse themselves (Biederman et al., 2000). Still other research indicates that children of alcoholics are more likely to experiment  with alcohol at earlier ages than other children (Vail-Smith and Knight, 1994). However, what is important to keep in mind that the severity of the impact is dependent upon  the childs stage of development, for some studies indicate that the risks are far greater during adolescence than during childhood (Biederman et al., 2000). But is it the alcohol  that is producing these detrimental effects or the peer pressure to drink in order to belong that is to blame? The effects of drugs (such as cocaine, crack, and