"Something To Think About ..."

METH DESTROYS CHILDREN AND ADULTS, BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Children and adults differ in their relationship with meth because of one
key factor, choice.

Initially, adults and adolescents that abuse methamphetamine do so because
of one simple fact, they choose to. Children, because of their youth,
dependence on their parents or others for survival and by virtue of their
nature, don't have the power of choice while they grow and develop into
adolescents and then adults. What makes the situation worse for children is
the fact that in many cases they have nowhere to escape their gradual
poisoning because it often takes place in their own homes.

Last year, approximately 200 children that were enrolled in Cumberland
County schools were removed from their homes at some point during the school
year. In some cases the stench of meth that had attached itself to the
clothes of these children was so bad they had to be isolated from the other
students until something could be done for them. Other children were so
negatively affected by living in a home that housed a meth lab that clumps
of hair fell from their head onto their desks. These issues are bad but they
serve to reveal other underlying problems adversely affecting children that
live with meth labs.

School serves as an educational tool for children in many ways. Children
learn not only academics but important social skills such as relating to
their peers, dealing with members of authority, etc. When a child is forced
to deal with what meth does to their parents and themselves, it severely
hampers a child's social development, thereby making life that much more
difficult for them when instead they should be able to look forward to
interacting with others and enjoying the benefits of having peers. Meth robs
from our children, and by extension, meth robs our community.

In ever increasing numbers, meth-positive babies are being born to
meth-addicted mothers right here in Cumberland County. For every 20 minutes
a pregnant woman is high on meth, the baby she is carrying in her womb feels
the influence of the drug for 24 hours. Since most pregnant women that use
meth are already addicted to the drug, you can be sure that they don't limit
their use to 20 minutes; no, they are much more likely to abuse this
patently evil drug for 10 to 20 hours, irregardless of the torment they are
subjecting their unborn child to. I'll leave the thought of what this does
to an innocent child for your own comprehension.

Sadly, most hospitals in Tennessee don't even know how to test for meth in
children, thereby jeopardizing the children even more.

Because Tennessee's number of premature births has increased exponentially
with the onset of meth in our communities, the March of Dimes has recently
named Tennessee as a target state for its efforts in improving the health of
babies.

Thirty percent of all meth labs have children present in the location where
the manufacturing or cooking occurs. Of these children a full 70 percent
test positive for methamphetamine.

Per pound, a baby has more skin surface than teenagers or adults, thereby
making them that much more vulnerable to the absorption of poisonous
chemicals used in the cooking of meth. The chemicals released into the air
during the cooking of meth are heavier than the air. Most meth labs are
constructed and operated indoors, thereby concentrating these airborne
particles within a closed in structure. As a result, these poisonous meth
particles hover in the air at an approximate height of 3 ft. to 4 ft., a
height parallel to the height of an average child. Because these particles
hang in the air at this height, they are in a sickeningly perfect position
to be absorbed by children through breathing, further damaging our innocent
children by burning and inflaming their lungs.

Although most babies aren't born addicted to meth, the toxicity that is
thrust upon them by their mothers can last a lifetime. In the first 12 to 24
hours after a meth baby is born, most meth babies develop seizures as their
bodies desperately fight to rid themselves of the toxic chemicals they have
been soaking in for nine months. Beyond a meth baby's first month of life,
the amount of toxicity in their brain still harms them. This damage hinders
development in meth babies to the point that many of them can't cry to let
someone know they are hungry or are in pain.

A child's clothes, toys, bed linens and everything in a home where meth is
cooked becomes contaminated with toxic chemicals. When children are upset
they often grab a teddy bear or other comfort animal and hug it tightly.
Normally this wouldn't be cause for alarm but if there is a meth lab in the
house, that teddy bear is full of meth particles, thereby bringing dangerous
particles that much closer to a child's mouth and nose, further harming them
in a time of need.

The health conditions in meth labs are so detrimental, destructive and dirty
that rats and roaches won't come near any location hiding a meth lab. Yet
members of our community willingly and knowingly cook meth and allow
children to play, live, sleep and even eat in close proximity to these labs
whose only purpose exists in the manufacture of death, robbery of spirit and
ruin of human potential and compassion.

Jars of unstable, ether-containing, meth oil are often kept out in the open,
easily accessible to children.

These "mother jugs" as they are called, have an explosive equivalent to
three to five sticks of dynamite. These jugs often consist of two-liter
bottles or large jars with equally accessible twist-off tops. With the
propensity of curiosity inherent in children, it's not hard to imagine the
dangers of this situation. Meth labs are also extremely prone to flash
fires, which are caused by the air becoming latent with flammable chemicals
to the extent that it simply combusts, charring, cooking and killing all
unfortunate enough to be in its wake, including children.

Whether it is through accidental ingestion of chemicals used in cooking
meth, ingestion of finished meth, second hand meth smoke inhalation,
crawling through chemical spills or inhaling contaminants, children are
exposed to meth everyday.

As if this method of damaging children weren't enough for meth, it brings
with its presence other shameful problems that have lasting effects on a
child's health and social development. Since methamphetamine began its siege
on our community, occurrences of domestic violence in Cumberland County have
shot up 500 percent. One of the detrimental effects that meth has on its
users is an increased sex drive. Unfortunately, meth so twists the humanity
and feelings of compassion that are natural to any human to the extent that
children become targets of opportunity for meth addicts seeking an outlet
for their drug inspired desires. Children need protection from this evil; we
as a community can act as a shield for these children, but only if we stand
together and fight meth with all the resources at our disposal.

The First Lady of Tennessee, Andrea Conte, will soon begin her walk across
Tennessee for the children of the state. Her intentions are to raise
awareness about child abuse. In my opinion any instance where children are
near meth or near a meth lab constitutes child abuse and this topic should
be addressed by the First Lady. Conte will be in Cookeville on Nov. 17 as
part of her "Andrea Walks for Our Children" program and I encourage members
of our community to travel to Cookeville on this date to let her know we
want meth out of our communities for the sake of the children.

. . . W. Alan Beckelheimer is a Crossville Chronicle staffwriter. His column
appears each Wednesday in the Chronicle.