SEMINAR LOOKS AT HOW CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY METH USE IN THEIR HOMES

Neglect, Abuse Often Associated With This Dangerous Drug

"Children living in meth labs might as well be taking the drug
directly," said presenter Tamara Guy, from Prevent Child Abuse
Illinois, during a seminar held on Tuesday at Kaskaskia College.

Denise McCaffrey and Guy, prevention resource developers for Prevent
Child Abuse Illinois, presented "Living in Danger: The Impact of
Domestic Violence and Methamphetamine on Children" at the college on
Tuesday morning. Prevent Child Abuse Illinois is a non-profit
organization whose purpose is to provide public awareness concerning
child-related issues and help link the Department of Children and
Family Services (DCFS), law enforcement personnel, and other
departments, when necessary, to benefit the welfare of children.

The local community has watched as good people sadly ruin their lives
because of their addiction to methamphetamine, but the impact of
methamphetamine on children and the domestic situation is sometimes
overlooked. These sad cases of meth addicts fallen from grace
oftentimes include children's lives also ruined by their parents'
mistakes. Children living in these homes may experience a variety of
abuses and dangerous situations.

As law enforcement officers begin to clean up the meth labs, they
often arrive to find children amidst the squalor of meth-contaminated
homes. These homes are typically rendered toxic from the
methamphetamine production, which has even been found in the bedrooms
of children in some cases.

The impact of the methamphetamine epidemic on children is just now
beginning to be studied and understood. Both McCaffrey and Guy
emphasized the need for awareness of these children in meth-infested homes.

When a house is busted for methamphetamine production and children
are discovered inside, they must first be themselves decontaminated,
then they put on new clothes and leave everything they have ever
known behind. Along with leaving their parents, children from meth
homes must leave all of their possessions, because they have been
contaminated by the meth production process. McCaffrey explained that
rare exceptions might include a child's glasses or hearing aid, which
will be decontaminated. According to McCaffrey, 90 percent of
children going into foster care are from meth homes.

These displaced children will experience a variety of emotions,
including tension, fear, misery, anguish, agitation, paranoia,
depression, rage, confusion, and more. McCaffrey noted that 71
percent of them experience mental health symptoms, such as
disassociation and post-traumatic stress. And, half of them will
continue to have emotional and behavioral problems.

Children whose parents use or manufacture meth may experience
respiratory problems, delayed speech and language skills, elevated
risk for kidney problems and leukemia, poor school
performance/attendance problems, isolation, lack of immunizations and
medical care, poor dental health, hyperactivity and ADHD, lice,
obesity, developmental problems, violent behavior, drug usage, and
lack of boundaries with easy attachment to strangers.

Though the average age of the majority of users is between 18-35
years old, Guy reported one case of a child addicted to meth at age
nine. The children misconstrue what is considered "normal" and
believe drug use is "normal" behavior because it is all they have ever seen.

According to Guy, meth addicts will hide their "stash" anywhere they
think people would not normally expect to find meth - such as a baby
seat, baby bed, or a myriad of other unexpected places. In some
cases, meth was found being stored in sippy cups with children in the home.

The danger includes not only the meth itself, but guns and other
weapons, meth making material, and meth paraphernalia, such as
discarded needles, all of which can be potentially lethal items for a child.

Along with these potentially dangerous items, the child is exposed to
a wide variety of chemicals used in the "cooking" process. Children
are exposed by secondhand smoke and ingestion, especially among
toddlers, who will put anything into their mouths.

Along with the exposure to chemicals, the possibility of flammable
and explosive elements are real risks when making meth. Twenty
percent of meth labs are found by fire or explosion.

Another major risk for children in meth homes include that of sexual
abuse, along with the physical abuse. According to McCaffrey, meth
users have lower inhibitions about right and wrong, along with a
heightened sex drive, which can cause more sexual abuse. Also,
high-risk populations such as sexual abusers or violent drug users
are in more direct contact with children in meth homes because
parents are less selective about who they allow to visit.

Guy stated, 35 percent of meth labs seized have a child present in
the home. And, 30 to 50 percent of those children tested positive for
methamphetamine in their urine.

Meth labs can be found in any home and at any income level. Guy
reports that meth is not discriminatory, as the $400,000 home owner
is just as likely as the home renter on the other side of the tracks
to become addicted to meth.

According to McCaffrey, children living in a meth addict's home are
prone to violent outbursts from their parents, especially during the
"tweaking" period when addicts become especially agitated.

Parents who use meth may exhibit extreme mood fluctuations, violent
behavior, depression, poor impulse control, lack of attention or
hygiene, and acute psychotic episodes. As meth use continues, the
parent is often unable to meet the basic needs of the child. Due to
changes in brain chemistry, the parent may lose the capacity to
provide appropriate care for children in the home.

Guy reported that it's very typical for meth cookers to use items
such as bowls and plates from the kitchen during the meth production
and simply put them back in the kitchen to be used by their families.
In this instance, a child may easily grab a bowl for cereal and find
meth residue as a part of their breakfast.

In most cases, though, the child would be lucky to find edible food
in the home at all. Another side of neglect is poor nutrition. Meth
users have no appetite and tend to forget to keep food in the home,
thus children are very undernourished.

These children oftentimes experience educational neglect, as well,
because the parents often change homes, and as a result, the children
must change schools.

Parents in a meth home may require children to steal items needed for
meth production. They may have the child strip batteries, open pills,
strip match strikes, or other chores in the meth manufacturing
process. Some parents use their child as a lookout, and others use
the child to hold or transport drugs.

Pregnant women who use meth, may cause their babies to experience
premature birth, low birth weight, cerebral injuries, birth defects,
cerebral palsy and paralysis, dopamine depletion, abnormal sleep
patterns, poor feeding, limpness, apparent depression, shaking and
tremors, irritability, fits or rage, excessive screaming, sensitivity
to stimuli, and coordination problems. The effects on babies exposed
to methamphetamine in the womb have yet to be fully understood, as
most meth users also use nicotine and alcohol during pregnancy, which
also cause many of the symptoms meth use causes.

"Know the resources in your area, understand the dangers of meth, and
seek out help for yourself or others in a dangerous situation," said McCaffrey.

McCaffrey pointed out that combating meth needs to start with the
community. People need to make themselves aware of suspicious homes
that may be meth making homes.

Guy warned that many ordinary household items can be a red flag, but
usually they are found in large quantities before a red flag is
raised. Precursors can be salt, lithium batteries, matches, etc. But
one of the main ingredients, which cannot be substituted, is
anhydrous ammonia, the most dangerous ingredient.

Guy also pointed out that meth can be made anywhere. She shared one
report of a mobile meth unit on a bicycle. Anywhere people can go,
they can make meth, including homes, a vehicle, or a storage shed.
Suspicious signs that meth is being made in a home can include the
large quantities of precursors, windows that are covered or
blackened, heavy traffic in and out of the house, unusual
ventilation, and high-priced security systems.

Guy explained a tell-tale sign of meth production is an extensive
security system, because meth users are so paranoid that they often
watch everyone coming in and out of their home with security cameras.

Meth addiction was explained by Guy by comparing addiction rates.
Only 10 percent of people who try alcohol for the first time become
addicted to it, but 98 percent of people who try meth for the first
time will become addicted.

She further made her point by showing the dopamine levels in
comparison. Dopamine is the part of the brain that allows people to
experience enjoyment. Meth creates "dopamine dump," which dumps all
of the dopamine into the receptors. Thus, the high is intense, said
Guy. Dopamine levels for someone's favorite food might be about 150,
using cocaine 340, and using meth around 1,050, explained Guy.