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Q: When one parent is abusing drugs, what can the "other" parent do? There are young children involved.

A: Safeguard the children first. Do not allow the drug-using parent to care for the children alone or drive a car with them in it.

Take steps to get the drug-using parent into treatment. Call your local health department or a treatment facility for referral to an intervention specialist. That professional will guide you and your family in your efforts to get help.

If the parent doesn’t get help or doesn’t want help, the custodial parent should move the children to a safe and stable location or tell the drug-using parent to leave until he or she has stopped using drugs.