Darnell Cox started using marijuana and alcohol around the age of 12. By 20 he had been introduced to hard drugs. His uncle had been released from prison, and Cox started spending time with him and his friends. That’s how he became addicted to methamphetamine.

Cox is one of many Americans whose entire family systems are affected by substance-use disorder. About 1 in 4 U.S. children lived with at least one parent or caretaker with substance-use disorder in 2023, according to research from the National Institute of Health.

In 2020, Cox had found recovery, but it was fragile. He was two years sober, working for the first time in construction. He and his family had created distance from unhealthy people and behaviors.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It was an isolating time for everyone, an

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