I have a brother that is an alcoholic (and drug addict) though he has been clean for a few years now. While not "diagnosed" or admitting to it, I believe at least one of my granparents to be an alcoholic.....at least.

SO, I too wonder about this and children. My brothers that have kids have not talked to their children about this, and to be honest, it sort of bothers me. The older kids (young to mid teens) are old enough to possibly remember when their uncle (my brother) was "missing" (on runs) or in rehab.

I don't have any resources, but I think the most important thing is to be honest with your kids (age appropriately of course!) My one brother seem to think that by NOT talking to their kids about it they're "protecting" them. With his kids turning 16 and 14 this year, I think it's important to realize that they KNOW (or will soon) about alcohol and drugs. And if we can talk about how their uncles addictions hurt him and our whole family, it's better than just shutting our eyes to the issue....

I think it's great that you would like to be able to talk to your kids about it - I think it's a great start!

Alcoholism runs in my family as well. I just celebrated 21 years of sobriety. Unfortunately, teenage drinking and drug abuse continues to grow on a daily basis. Here are two links to start with. It would be good to educate your children on them being vulnerable to alcohol/drug abuse since they have the genes as well.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Website
NIDA 2010

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Family structure is important in a child's life. They need the nurturing of a loving family. Family Life gives children stability and security. It helps them to deal with harsh environments.

When a family member becomes an addict , of alcohol , other members get affected. They find themselves covering up for them when they fail to show up at their places of work or in defense of the addict . Alcohol abuse also drains the family of its finances. Other problems that come with alcohol abuse are physical and sexual abuse , divorce and separations , infidelity and loss of esteem among family members of an addict. If parents are in the right track, then only we can advice our children. So if any one having this bad behaviour, quit it as early as possible for the sake of your family.