Addicts and children's welfare

It has recently been made perfectly clear to me how serious the drug epidemic is in this country. Heroin seems to be the latest drug of choice for young people. And I understand addiction is a disease. And I pray for the addicted daily.

But what I don't understand, and I never will, is why we give active addicts a say in the welfare of their children. We can go to court when our parents get older and claim they are senile and get power of attorney of their estate, their money, their rental property, etc. But if we have a drug-addicted adult child, we cannot have a say so in the lives of our grandchildren. The addicted parent gets to decide what's in the best interest of the child. As if to say that a person deep in the throes of addiction is really thinking with a level head. And, if you have an addicted adult child, and you decide to cut them off financially, they can, in their drug induced stupor, threaten you with the welfare of your grandchildren. That is why so many parents enable the addicted child in their life: because they don't want to lose the grandchild also.

It seems to me the system has to change. If you are an addict, get help. And if you don't, you lose your right. Punishing the child for the sins of their parents should not be an option. Or the cycle goes on...

CAROLE KENNY, Scott City