The Meth Epidemic and Kids

Jerry Parr contributed a sobering article in the July 2005 issue on Exchange on the rising impact of the local manufacture, distribution, and use of methamphetamines in rural America and its increasing impact on early childhood. In the article, “The Drug Epidemic Impacts Our Children, Families, and Programs,” Parr observed…

“…rural America has become the latest victim of the drug plague. Tight knit mountain top communities, towns along our remote rivers and in isolated valleys, tribal reservations, small town America with an already anemic budget and too few resources to maintain current services are faced with decisions that were, until recently, associated with large, urban populations. Small town America has to decide between funding children and funding services that track down and prosecute amphetamine manufacturers, dealers, and users; between children’s services and medical services; between Haz-Mat and has not. These are not choices they should need to make. These are not choices they are able to make.

“Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug with long term and permanent effects. Increasingly, users are not electing the path of abuse; their choice is being made for them . . . by their parents, friends, and relatives . . . these users are our children! Pre-natal use is on the rise due to a misconception that methamphetamine is less harmful to unborn children than crack cocaine, so mothers-to-be are switching their drug of choice while pregnant. Infants and young children are living in rooms where toxic chemicals are being stored and where methamphetamine is being cooked. Children are eating food from refrigerators where methamphetamine ingredients are being cooled. Our babies are crawling on the floors where residue and chemicals are spilled and ignored.”

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