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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah kids who grew up with parents and relatives hooked on drugs or alcohol say they are survivors who will never act like victims.
The group Kids of Parents in Recovery, or KOPIR, was formed by youth for youth to help each other deal with their loved one's substance abuse.
"It's us talking to each other and venting to each other and figuring out problems together," said 15-year-old Jasmine Vandam.
Often times, children of addicts become parents to their younger siblings or they're removed from their families altogether. It's a cycle these youngsters want to break.
"We have the choice to either go the same path as our parents or learn from their mistakes and do better for ourselves," Vandam said.
Many of the kids said they had no dreams before the KOPIR program. Now they say they're excited about their futures.
