There's some surprising numbers on how many Americans grow up as the children of alcoholics.

So how can the experience damage them?

ABC's Senior Medical Contributor Dr. Timothy Johnson tells us in Your Health Report.

More than 1 in 10 children in the United States live with at least one alcoholic parent.

That is the finding of a new study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The federal agency, studying data from 2005 to 2010, found an average of 7.5 million children lived with a parent who abused alcohol.  That's a striking 10.5 percent of the US population under eighteen.

And their parents' drinking problems take a toll on the kids.  They are at greater risk of such mental health problems as depression and
anxiety.  And they are more likely to suffer abuse or neglect by their parents.

The agency head calls this an enormous public health problem, underscoring the importance of preventing alcohol abuse and underage drinking.