[summary] Manifesto for ‘children of alcoholics’: challenges for policy & stigma?

Many organisations may have front-line staff trained to making early alcohol interventions, but recognising where alcohol may be an issue for a child’s well-being early may be difficult.
The manifesto describes a ‘shocking picture of support’, highlighting that none of the 138 councils which responded to its survey had a specific child of alcoholics strategy. But they do typically have alcohol strategies covering a range of actions, including ambitions to deliver coordinated activity to reduce the harms to children and young people.
Other manifesto actions may be considered of varying effectiveness with educational approaches typically seen as ineffective compared too increasing the price and reducing the availability of alcohol.
The use of the term ‘alcoholics’ in the manifesto is questionable because it can potentially stigmatise people and because it may not be thought to include at-risk drinkers. The use may be because there is no ‘everyday’ term to cover all alcohol problems.