Pubdate: Mon, 01 May 2000 Source: Salt Lake Tribune (UT) Copyright: 2000 The Salt Lake Tribune Contact: 143 S Main, Salt Lake City UT 84111 Fax: (801)257-8950 Website: http://www.sltrib.com/ Forum: http://www.sltrib.com/tribtalk/ Author: Michael Vigh UTAH'S HOMEGROWN METH LABS CREATING AN EPIDEMIC OF ADDICTED TOTS After police raided a suspected Salt Lake City drug house recently, they found a working methamphetamine lab, loaded firearms and several open jugs of toxic chemicals. They also discovered two filthy, hungry boys. An adult in the home was jailed for operating a meth lab and for child abuse. Later, blood and hair tests of one of the boys revealed the presence of methamphetamine in his system. "He tested positive and has exhibited withdrawal symptoms," said Lisa Jorgensen an investigator with Utah's Child Protective Services. "He's a 5-year-old addict." The boy's 2-year-old brother also was found to have traces of meth in his system. Call it the "crack baby" epidemic for the new millennium. Experts say Utah's standing as a haven for "Mom and Pop" meth labs is causing untold damage to children who live in drug-addled homes where adults brew toxic mixtures on their kitchen stoves. Used needles, beakers with drug residue and contaminated vials are typically scattered on the floor where infants crawl and play. Authorities who must wade through the chemical mess left by the home-cooked high are worried about the long-term negative consequences for children who grow up in such an environment. "When one of these drug houses is discovered, it's not uncommon for our agents to be in moon suits while babies are crawling around in diapers," said Don Mendrala, federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spokesman. Young children become addicted to the drugs when they inhale second-hand smoke or sample chunks of crystal meth left lying on the floor. Likewise, pregnant women who smoke or snort the highly addictive -- and cheap -- drugs often get their unborn children addicted, Jorgensen said. Indeed, the most frequent users of meth are women between the ages of 20 and 35 -- the age of childbearing, said Pat Knell of the Salt Lake County Health Department. The effects on children are not widely known because long-term studies have not been done on the newly recognized problem. What is known, Knell said, is that children go through some of the same withdrawal symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and chronic sickness as their "tweaking" -- street slang for users of meth -- parents. "It takes two years to get off meth," she said. "You feel pretty rotten for about two years." Parents addicted to meth are more concerned about their next high than ensuring their children receive adequate care. The results are predictable. "These are some of the most abused and neglected children I've ever seen," Jorgensen said at the 10th Annual Utah Gang Conference held recently in downtown Salt Lake City. "The house is filthy, the kids are missing school and they are always sick. In some cases, the only meal they get is at school." Added Mendrala of the DEA: "The abuse is broad, encompassing. The focus for users is on the drug; family, food and personal hygiene take a distant second. Kids are not going to be cared for, fed or bathed with any regularity." When a working meth lab is discovered by police, the children are automatically removed from the home, given a mental health screening and moved to foster homes. After they are removed from the toxic environment, they begin the healing process. The road to recovery, though, is a long one for children addicted to the drug. "They go through withdrawals and feel terrible," Jorgensen said. "We see developmental delays and hearing loss." The adverse effects are not just physical. Experts fear the meth-house epidemic will create a class of social deviants, people prone to violence and who abhor law officers. "In tweaker's homes we see drugs, guns and very hard-core porn," Jorgensen said. "We get a lot of very neglected and sexually abused kids." Jorgensen said people on meth frequently enjoy pornography and some like to take photographs of themselves and others engaging in lewd acts. The pictures and pornographic magazines are often scattered around the home, easily accessible to children. "I've seen a 3-year-old who can describe sexual acts and sees nothing wrong with it," Jorgensen said. "These kids -- and I'm talking 10 and under -- seem to have no inhibitions." Children who live in the meth culture learn from parents who have loaded handguns scattered around the house and are willing to use gunfire to protect their illegal operations, experts say. The drugs can net about $25 on the street for two hits, but many meth cooks make the drugs to satisfy their own cravings, Knell said "People on meth become violent, paranoid and they're well-armed," she said. "To them, everyone is a cop." The burgeoning meth culture doesn't seem to be slowing down in Utah, officials say. Last year, for example, 266 labs were discovered by police around the state. Only four other states -- California, Missouri, Arkansas and Arizona -- had more. On a per capita basis, Utah remains the No. 1 meth state in the U.S., a dubious trend that began a few years ago in a state known for its squeaky-clean image. Meanwhile, the boys found in the Salt Lake City drug house are doing OK, but will live with the effects of growing up in a meth lab for some time. "They slept for two days, they went through sweating, cramping, diarrhea and have developmental problems," Jorgensen said. "They are in a foster home and are going to be in counseling and rehab for years to come." - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck