Help Support Children of Alcoholics Week
February 13 to 19, 2011
An estimated 25 percent of all children in the United States (about 27.8 million) are affected by or exposed to a family alcohol problem. SAMHSA supports the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) during its Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week. COA Week celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and losses suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering from the adverse impact of parental alcohol and drug addiction.
During this annual celebration of hope and healing, NACoA would like citizens and organizations to spread the word on how frequently children are affected by a parent's suffering from alcohol/drug addictions. Here are some ways to make a difference during COA Week 2011:
- Speak out as an organization and as an individual. Advocate for the children and families affected by alcoholism and other drug dependencies.
- Stimulate a proclamation. Join with other groups in your town or state to persuade the mayor, governor, or state legislators to make an official proclamation of COA Week 2011. Announce the event with as much fanfare as possible, including a kick-off press conference and as much TV or radio coverage as you can attract. Work with the public affairs office that serves the official who will be signing the proclamation. ( View sample proclamation .) Arrange a radio interview for a local authority or call NACoA (1-888-554-2627) to help get a national authority.
- Distribute prepared materials. Celebrate COA Week 2011 with a simple information distribution campaign. Use material already developed, such as posters, pamphlets, and publications, and visit websites as well as the offices of organizations whose work is like yours or otherwise well suited to the messages of COA Week.
Become an advocate of support and assistance for the children of alcoholics.