NCJ Number
178218
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 68 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 10-14
Date Published
July 1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The drug production process in methamphetamine laboratories and methamphetamine use by parents pose special dangers to children.
Abstract
The dangers to children become obvious when a methamphetamine laboratory explodes or when authorities discover neglected children as a result of methamphetamine use by their parents. Authorities have found babies crawling on carpets where toxic chemicals used to make methamphetamine have spilled and have seen children cooking their own meals in the same microwave ovens parents use to produce methamphetamine. In addition, authorities have discovered chemicals used in methamphetamine production that are stored in open or improperly sealed containers in areas where children play. In 1995, the issue of children as victims of the methamphetamine epidemic gained national attention when a methamphetamine laboratory in Riverside County, California, exploded and killed three small children. In conjunction with strengthening State laws, California awarded grants to four counties to implement a multidisciplinary approach to protecting children victimized by exposure to methamphetamine production. In each county, the district attorney's office developed a program employing the skills, knowledge, and experience of individuals from law enforcement, health care, and social services. The effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach to deal with the victimization of children by methamphetamine production is discussed, and stages in the methamphetamine production process are identified. 4 endnotes, 1 table, and 2 photographs