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13
December 1999
County Children Silent Victims at Meth-Exposed
Sites
SAN DIEGO,
CA – An eight-month old crawling over a plastic bag filled with
"crystal." A crude meth lab bubbling with toxic fumes in the bedroom
of a 6-year-old. A container of deadly hydrochloric acid on a kitchen
counter next to a bottle of baby formula.
Such harmful scenarios have become more frequent for children in San
Diego County, according to new statistics released today by the
Methamphetamine Strike Force and the County of San Diego
Drug Endangered Children (DEC) program.
In 1999, more than half of the meth labs investigated by officials
of the county's DEC team had children living at the site. Of
11 lab sites seized by sheriff's deputies in the North County this
year, nine were home to children under 16.
In addition, the DEC unit removed another 90 kids from meth-contaminated
sites in 1999. In all, 149 children have been removed from meth environments
since the DEC program began in January of 1998.
"People who make meth are not careful," said Deputy District Attorney
Robert Amador of the DEC program. "Toxic chemicals can be absorbed
by inhaling or through the skin," he said.
"You can find stains on the carpet where babies crawl around. Many
of these kids have tested positive for narcotics. It's time to treat
these kids as victims of crimes," Amador said.
San Diego is one of a handful of counties in California to implement
a strategic team specifically designed to address the growing dilemma
of children living at meth-exposed sites.
Operating under a $250,000 a year grant from the state, the county's
DEC team has been working to care for children whose parents
have been arrested. The team is also studying the medical effects
of meth-exposure on children.
"Meth chemicals are poisons by themselves or poisonous and explosive
when mixed with other chemicals," said Wendy Wright, a pediatrician
at Children’s Hospital and member of the DEC team. "Kids
are breathing and developing faster than adults and are more affected
by chemicals," she said.
"We've seen lung and tissue damage. We've seen developmental problems.
We've seen chemical burns, respiratory problems and brain toxicity,"
Wright continued. "We desperately need to sustain our efforts to track
these kids long term," she added.
"Drug Endangered Children are often victims of physical or sexual
abuse," echoed Rhonda Oliver from the county's department of Child
Protective Services. "They play witnesses to domestic violence
and criminal activities. Sometimes they are forced to join in the
meth production or selling which puts them at further risk," Oliver
said.
U.S. Department of Justice statistics indicate children who
are abused or neglected are more likely to become criminals than other
children. Abused or neglected children are 50 percent more likely
to be arrested as juveniles, 40 percent more likely to be arrested
for a violent crime as adults and 33 percent more likely to become
substance abusers.
Supervisor Dianne Jacob has called for a collaborative community effort
to intervene on behalf of drug endangered children. "Without treatment
for their parents and treatment themselves, these children stand a
horrendous chance of being swept up in the cycle of abuse," said Jacob.
"By raising public awareness and utilizing a tremendous resource like
the meth hotline, our community can rescue these kids from hazardous
drug homes," Jacob said.
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Warning
signs of a meth environment
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| 1. |
Strong
chemical odors coming from home, trailer, garage or other structure. |
| 2. |
Chemical
containers being stored on the property or in vehicles such as cans
of freon, Coleman fuel, alcohol, antifreeze, or drain cleaner. |
| 3. |
Extra
trash, including chemical containers, unusual quantities of cold medicines,
bubble pack, plastic tubing, drain cleaner, or kitty litter bags. |
| 4. |
Extra
amounts of glassware or glass cookware, hotplates, chemical flasks,
and propane cylinders taken into the site. |
| 5. |
Short-term
foot traffic or car traffic at residence, especially at night. |
| 6. |
Residences
with blacked-out windows. |
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