WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? METHAMPHETAMINE AND ITS YOUNGEST VICTIMS

Alex Faigen, Pre-dental Student, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Mitchell A. Goodis, DDS, Lt Col, USAF (ret)
A research article written as part of a pre-dental internship at
Pleasant Valley Dental, El Dorado, Ca

Facts shine a light on the danger facing families involved with methamphetamine.

One of the leading issues plaguing rural and metropolitan communities alike is the pervasive use of methamphetamine and the path of physical and personal destruction that it leaves in its wake. We all see programs on TV or hear reports on the radio about the addictive potential of Crystal Methamphetamine. Most of these deal with the problems associated with addicts: They run meth labs which generate toxic waste. They use meth and steal to support their habits. They sell meth to other kids. They get caught and end up in jail. They get out of jail and relapse.
But, what about the children?
 Approximately 10% of babies treated in the neonatal intensive care unit at UC Davis Medical Center between 1990 and 2002 had been exposed to methamphetamine. 560 of the babies that tested positive for drugs were exposed to methamphetamine and 325 had been exposed to cocaine. (1) The parents have been using. Neonates born to mothers using methamphetamine are small for their gestational age, have abnormal sleeping patterns, more irritability, and hypersensitivity for sound .(2)
What about the children?
What are we doing for the most vulnerable segment of society, our children in elementary, middle and high school? Some of the folks that I have interviewed began using meth in 2nd grade. Another started at age twelve, sharing Meth with her dad and step-mom while being truant from school. The majority began in one of two age groups: ages 12-13 or ages 19-20. If we can reach the children in 7th to 9th grade and give them the information to dissuade them from beginning the use of Methamphetamine, we will have eliminated both groups of users. Look at where the problem begins: in the schools, where older users recruit younger students as well as their peers.
Here in El Dorado County, Wade B., a crystal meth addict who has completed a rehab program, and I have visited middle and high schools. In the middle schools (7th and 8th grades) as well as in the high schools, I ask the same question: How many of you have used illegal drugs, have parents or family members who use illegal drugs, or have friends who use illegal drugs? In the lower grades, approximately 50% raise their hands. In 9th grade, over 95 % raise their hands. Clearly, drugs play an important part of social evolution during these formative years. In 2004, at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado County, 1% of 9th graders and 3% of 11th graders admitted to using meth in the past 30 days. (3) Of 7000 surveyed students in 11th grade in Humboldt County schools, approximately 11% have admitted using meth. How will they pay for this drug once they have sold everything they own or could steal from their families?
But, with meth clearly so addictive, what tempts youth to try it that first time and become hooked? Misinformation or no information is a factor!
In El Dorado County, it is not unusual to see children in the dental clinic, ages 2, 3, 4,& 5, having multiple extractions due to child neglect by meth addicted parents. Often they are brought in by CPS workers under court order, by foster parents, grandparents, or guardians. Meth breaks the strongest bond I know: That between a mother and her child. Mothers will simply leave, abandoning their children. That’s why it is often called the ‘walk away drug.’ With increasing frequency, these children are being raised by grandparents and, in some cases, great grandparents.


Photo 2 Abscesses and multiple caries present in daughter of meth user. Photo with permission.

Photo 3. Young mother of the child has similar dental issues. Grandma is also an addict. The child is being raised by her great grandfather. Photo with permission

Some children remain in homes with parents who are using or cooking Methamphetamine. Do we really understand the implications of that statement and how it affects children at home and in school?
Consider that, from 2000 to 2002 alone, the number of children present at seized clandestine meth labs doubled (2). Children encounter multiple problems while growing up in the care of meth users, in homes where meth is cooked, and in houses that were formerly meth labs. (4) A child’s environment as well as a history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) may ultimately affect that individual’s health (5), social interaction, mental abilities, school performance, and the potential for future drug use .
Both younger and older children of Meth users are often neglected. Children from meth homes generally lack good care, proper nutrition and social development: Basics that a parent normally provides. Often, they do not attend school while parents are tweaking or “crashing” from a meth binge .Unfortunately, these children are often left to fend for themselves or may be cared for by older siblings who generally do not provide proper attention or guidance (6). During law enforcement raids, children removed from the households demonstrate the same or even more severe health issues that the users themselves have. Once in custody, hospital testing has demonstrated significant levels of methamphetamine in the urine. Children ages five and below are most at risk. (7).
Table 1 (2).
 Houses used to prepare meth become their own danger zones. Cooking meth uses a wide array of chemicals, many of which are known as “extremely hazardous”: anhydrous ammonia, ether, acetone, chloroform, muriatic acid, engine starter, brake cleaner, perchloric acid, Freon, toluene, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphine gas (6). Meth “labs”, houses saturated in chemicals and vapors, are often uncovered when a careless parent causes a fire or explosion that alerts law enforcement (5). When the EMS and police arrive, they face chemical contamination and personal harm while rescuing children. The results are best stated by one social worker, “because of the contamination of clothes, belongings, and the house, children removed from meth labs cannot take any of their possessions, clothes, or familiar comfort objects, which adds to the trauma of out-of-home placement” (9). As is noticed, the parents, as well as the home itself, pose great risks to the children. (9)
Kids who come from a broken, drug abusing home often have trouble fitting in and develop issues with self-regulation and socialization(9). Teachers become aware of potential drug involvement when a student exhibits behavioral and/or scholastic difficulties and should consult a counselor to deal with the problem .

Emerging from the production and use of meth are many unrealized environmental effects. For each pound of meth manufactured, there is an astonishing five pounds of toxic wastes to be discarded (8). By their very nature, the users and producers of crystal meth do not have recycling, safety, and chemical management on the forefront of their minds. Quite frequently, waste is stored in pop bottles, open food containers, bathtubs, or simply dumped in the backyard (8), (2). In addition to risks associated with cooking meth, the areas children where play are often contaminated with toxic waste, used needles, and razor blades, a serious safety risk (2). Another hazard is phosphine gas, an extremely flammable and explosive gas by-product of meth production which can causes respiratory collapse, cardiac failure and pulmonary edema (6). Aspiration pneumonitis and respiratory inflammation should be ruled out by emergency crews to ensure they do not overlook possible damage to the airway (2). Often, after a lab bust, HAZMAT crews must be alerted to decontaminate the property, costing local governments thousands of dollars. Many states have mandated that, before a home is purchased, realtors must provide disclose past use as a meth lab (10). Children who live in houses that were formerly meth labs have developed symptoms generally associated with chronic meth use.
Chronic, infrequent , or even one time exposure to the chemicals and toxins related to meth and its productions carry many serious health effects. After exposure, the most common complication in children is rhabdomyolysis, a muscle degrading illness. Additionally, elevated heart rate, vomiting, agitation, and inconsolable crying can be present (2). Often, children are too afraid or unable to alert any responsible adults to their position due to the physical harm they might receive from angered parents. School employees and nurses should be cognizant of the warning signs of meth exposure, especially frequent untreated illness, sweet pungent chemical smells, changes in personality, aggressive behavior, and lack of academic progress (8). By alerting officials to their suspicions, teachers can help to save young children from harm.
Children may experience problems in school and in social settings with their peers. Younger kids demonstrate a multitude of learning difficulties in school resulting from sensory integration problems: Autism, Developmental disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ; all directly tied to the damage meth has done to their brain as well as environmental factors. (11). Children begin learning through touch and their senses. This process continues due to environmental and genetic stimuli they receive through growth. (12)
The lack of an active and healthy social environment can cause malfunctions in the establishment of sound neural connections and can result in undersized regions of the brain which are necessary for proper emotional development (12). Studies have shown that children with prenatal meth exposure experience a difference in white matter structure and maturation, causing abnormal brain development. (13).
Although all of these issues are very real and tragic, the most frightening is the increased potential for drug abuse. As a result of environmental and genetic factors, they are part of a higher risk group. Use and abuse of methamphetamine is strongly tied to parenting. When a child sees a parent using, the child will perceive that as permission to do the same (3). Meth use by parents causes children to develop feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and lack of control, often spiraling them into a future of drug use (3). In a 2004 Healthy Kids survey, two percent of eleventh grade students admitted using Meth at least once. (14).
It is obvious that the issue of children and their exposure to the world of methamphetamine needs to be addressed. Remember, one time is all it takes to become hooked and cause a lifetime of problems.
Works Cited

  • Jewett, Christina, “New Drug Wave Delivers ‘Crank Babies,” The Sacramento Bee, S17 April 2005, p. 1.
  • “Children in Methamphetamine “Labs” in Oregon.” CD Summary: An Epidemiology Publication of the Oregon Department of Human Services. 52.16 (2003).
  • El Dorado Union High School District Healthy Kids Survey Comparison, 2002 and 2004, January 2005 Report, table 14.
  • Doligosa Jr, F., Family’s World Shaken by Former Meth Lab, Rocky Mountain News, 20 Feb, 2006.
  • Indiana: The Sabatino Meth Lab Home Story, Meth Lab Homes, 27 August 2009. http://Methlabhomes.com/2009/08/inidana-sabatino-meth-lab-home-story/
  • Ells, Mark JD., Sturgis, Barbara PhD., Wright, Gregg MD. “ Behind the Drug: The Child Victims of Meth Labs.” National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse. 15.2 (2002).
  • Grant, Bell, et. al., “Evidence of Methamphetamine Exposure in Children Removed from Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories.” Pediatric Emergency Care, 26.1(2010), 11 January 2010. .
  • Denchy, Janice. “The Meth Epidemic: Its Effect on Children and Communities.” Journal of School Nursing. 22.2 (2006) pp,63-5.
  • . Risks of Meth Exposure to Children. Minnesota Department of Health. 11 January 2010 .
  • Levine, Kent. 2007 Colorado Real estate Commission Forms. (2008) 12 January 2010 .
  • Shaw, R, Children: The Real Victims of Meth Exposure, Blank Children’s Hospital, Desmoines, IA 50309
  • Wesson, Kenneth A. ScienceMaster.com. “Early Brain Development and Learning.” 15 January 2010. .
  • American Academy of Neurology. "Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure Linked To Abnormal Brain Development." ScienceDaily 16 April 2009. 14 January 2010. .
  • California Healthy Kids Survey, Most Recent Performance Indicators , CDS Code 096185300000 El Dorado Union High School District, 2004.