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The living environment that many Meth-exposed children face
can hardly be called "home".
Explosives and booby
traps (including trip wires, hidden sticks with nails or spikes, and light
switches or electrical appliances wired to explosive devices) have been
found at some sites.
Loaded guns
and other weapons are usually present and often found in easy-to-reach
locations.
Meth homes also
often lack heating,
cooling, legally provided electricity,
running water, or refrigeration. Living and play areas may be infested
with rodents and insects, including cockroaches, fleas, ticks, and lice.
Individuals responding to some lab sites have found hazardous waste
products and rotten food on the ground, used needles and condoms strewn
about, and dirty clothes, dishes, and garbage piled on floors and
countertops.
Toilets and
bathtubs may be backed up or unusable, sometimes
because the cook has dumped corrosive byproducts into the plumbing.
The inability of
Meth addicted and manufacturing parents to function as competent
caregivers increases the likelihood that a child will be accidentally
injured or will ingest drugs and poisonous substances.
Baby bottles may be stored among
toxic chemicals.
Hazardous Meth
components may be stored in 2-liter soft drink bottles, fruit juice
bottles, 2-liter soft drink bottles, fruit juice bottles, and pitchers in
food preparation areas or the refrigerator. Ashtrays and drug
paraphernalia (such as razor blades, syringes, and pipes) are often found
scattered within a child’s reach, sometimes even in cribs. Infants are
found with Meth
powder on their clothes, bare feet, and toys. The health hazards in Meth
homes from unhygienic conditions, needle sharing, and unprotected sexual
activity may include hepatitis A and C, E. coli, syphilis, and HIV.
Learn More About:
Abuse-Neglect Living Conditions Social Problems |
Abuse-Neglect Living Conditions Social Problems
Introduction Exposure Signs Living with Meth DEC DEC Reporting Dr. Wells Papers Dr. Shah Biography DEC Links
Also:
Children, Meth's Youngest Victims
(Photo Gallery)
Newborn's Hair
Test of Mom's Meth Use
Meth
Use Restricts Fetal Growth
Toxic Brew: Researcher Unlocks
Harm Done To Children From Poisons In Meth
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