Op-ed: Addiction’s silent victims; How Lowell’s children are affected — and how we can help

Op-ed: Addiction’s silent victims; How Lowell’s children are affected — and how we can help

When we talk about the impact of addiction, the focus often lands on the person struggling with substance use. But behind closed doors, in households across Lowell, many children are quietly carrying the emotional weight of addiction without the language or support to express it. Their stories are less visible, but no less urgent. In homes where alcohol, prescription medications, or illicit drugs are misused, children often grow up in unpredicta…