by Ice.Maiden » 10 Oct 2014, 19:32
It's one of those subjects where everyone has a different take on it - you know, like drug addicts can still be loving parents.
I'm sure they can, but they don't love their kids enough to get help in beating their addictions, which's completely different from having meds in the house and finding that a child's managed to get hold of them by accident. Once bitten, most people'd never leave them around again would they, because the thought of what might happen'd be enough to secure them away properly.
Drugs're not much different to someone having plenty of alcohol though. When our first-born was just a matter of weeks old, a friend I'd known for years paid us a visit. She drank far too much and ended up drunk, but I didn't realise HOW drunk until she went upstairs.
She reappeared a minute later, holding the baby in her arms, and cooing how beautiful he was. Then she swayed, and almost toppled downstairs with my son. I could see what was going to happen, and dashed up towards them as she fell against the bannister. She's never been in the house since.
This person isn't an alcoholic, but obviously wasn't capable of holding a child, let alone looking after one. I'm sure it was a one-off, but it could've ended up as a tragedy, so I've got really strong views re. people abusing substances, especially when they're around kids.