Background
Innocent children
are sometimes found in homes and other environments (hotels, automobiles,
apartments, etc.) where methamphetamine and other illegal substances are
produced. Around the country, Drug Endangered Children (DEC) programs have been
developed to coordinate the efforts of law enforcement, medical services, and
child welfare workers to ensure that children found in these environments
receive appropriate attention and care.
Children
who live at or visit drug-production sites or are present during drug
production face a variety of health and safety risks, including:
- inhalation, absorption, or ingestion of toxic chemicals, drugs, or
contaminated foods that may result in nausea, chest pain, eye and tissue irritation,
chemical burns, and death
- fires and explosions
- abuse and neglect
- hazardous lifestyle (presence of booby traps, firearms, code
violations, poor ventilation)
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Prevalence
According to the El Paso Intelligence Center’s (EPIC) National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System, there were 611 children affected by, injured or killed at methamphetamine labs during calendar year 2007. A child affected by labs includes children who were residing at the labs but may not have been present at the time of the lab seizure as well as children who were visiting the site.
Number of Children Affected by Labs, 2004–2007
|
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
|
Child injured
|
13
|
11
|
--
|
7
|
|
Child killed
|
3
|
2
|
--
|
1
|
|
Children affected
|
3,088
|
1,647
|
--
|
653
|
|
Total injured/killed/affected
|
3,104
|
1,660
|
1,222
|
661
|
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Federal Response
On February 27, 2007, the Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007 (HR 1199) was introduced in the House of Representatives. If passed, the bill would provide for $20 million in DEC grants for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
In October
2003, ONDCP announced a national DEC initiative to assist with coordination
between existing state programs and create a standardized training program to
extend DEC to states where such a program does not yet exist.
In
2003, the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) awarded $2,124,000 to be used for DEC programs as part of the
COPS Methamphetamine Initiative 2003. See a listing of
grantees.
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Agencies Involved
A
variety of agencies are called for response when drug laboratories are
identified, including HAZMAT, law enforcement, and fire officials. When
children are found at the laboratories, however, additional agencies and
officials should be called in to assist, including emergency medical personnel,
social services, and physicians.
Although
coordination among child welfare services, law enforcement, medical services,
and other agencies may vary across jurisdictions, interagency protocols
developed to support drug-endangered children should generally address:
- staff training, including safety and cross training
- roles and responsibilities of agencies involved
- appropriate reporting, cross-reporting, and information sharing
- safety procedures for children, families, and responding personnel
- interviewing procedures
- evidence collection and preservation procedures
- medical care procedures
Actions
of the responding agencies should include taking children into protective
custody and arranging for child protective services, immediately testing the
children for methamphetamine exposure, conducting medical and mental health
assessments, and ensuring short- and long-term care.
Some
agencies have developed protocols to use when responding to these situations:
Arizona Drug Endangered
Children (DEC) Multidisciplinary/Integrated Protocol
Drug
Endangered Children: Idaho’s Law Enforcement Protocols and Procedures (PDF)
“How
to Care for Children Removed from a Drug Endangered Environment” (PDF)
Medical
Protocols for Children Found at Methamphetamine Labs (PDF)
Pierce County (Washington) Drug Endangered Children Protocol (PDF)
Stevens County (Washington) Meth Site Child Response Protocol (PDF)
We Care: Recommended Best Practices Addressing the Needs of Drug Endangered Children (PDF)
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Legislation
A large number of states have introduced legislation to respond to and address the problems associated with children being found at locations where methamphetamine is either used or produced. See the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws resource, State Child Endangerment Bill Status Update (PDF) for information about specific legislative bills on this issue that have been introduced as of August 3, 2006.
The
following examples of enacted and proposed legislation change the way DEC cases
are handled:
Arizona:
A.R.S.
13-3623 (passed in 2000)—created liability when a person places a child in a
location where a methamphetamine lab exists
A.R.S.
12-1000 (passed in 2003)—makes is unlawful to anyone other than the property
owner/manager to enter a property where drugs were being manufactured until it
is cleaned by a state-approved site remediation firm. This ensures that
children will not be returned to a drug laboratory site until it is determined
to be safe.
Georgia:
HB
1131 (introduced January 2004)—will create an offense of endangering a child
through the unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine, amphetamine, or a mixture
containing either substance
Louisiana
Revised Statute 14:93.A (2) (amended in 2004)—identifies as an offense the intentional or criminally negligent exposure by anyone age 17 or older of any child under age 17 to a clandestine laboratory operation in a situation where it is foreseeable that the child may be physically harmed. Lack of knowledge of the child's age can not be used as a defense.
North Dakota
HB
1351 (passed in 2003)—makes it a felony to expose children or vulnerable
adults to a controlled substance, precursor, or drug paraphernalia.
Washington
HB
2610 (passed in 2002)—establishes a felony for endangerment of a child by
exposure to methamphetamine or its precursors.
RCW
26.44.200 (passed in 2002)—requires the investigating law enforcement officer
to contact the Department of Social and Health Services immediately if a child
is found at a meth lab
See MethResources: Policies and Legislation for additional legislation concerning drug endangered children.
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DEC Programs
Following
are examples of DEC programs that have been developed throughout the United States
Arizona Drug Endangered
Children Program
Colorado Drug Endangered Children, Inc.
Georgia Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Iowa Drug Endangered Children
Kansas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Los Angeles Drug Endangered
Children Response Team
National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Oregon Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Riverside County Drug Endangered Children
Program
Shasta County Drug Endangered
Children Program
South Dakota Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
Texas Alliance for Drug Endangered Children
See MethResources: Programs for additional DEC programs.
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Related publications
Federal
Children
at Clandestine Methamphetamine Labs: Helping Meth's Youngest Victims
Office for Victims
of Crime, June 2003
Children at Risk
National Drug Intelligence Center, July 2002
Drug Labs and
Endangered Children (PDF), FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
Federal Bureau of
Investigation, July 1999
Fact Sheet: Impact of Methamphetamine on Children
Office of National Drug Control Policy, August 2005
White House
Drug Policy Office Launches National Initiative to Assist ‘Drug Endangered
Children’
Office
of National Drug Control Policy, October 6, 2003
State and Local
Arizona Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (DEC) Program Annual Report 2006 (PDF)
December 2006
Children in Methamphetamine Labs in Oregon (PDF)
Oregon Department of Human Services, August 2003
Georgia Alliance of Drug Endangered Children Strategic Plan 2006 (PDF)
December 2006
Survey of Policies and Procedures for Drug Endangered Children in Washington State (PDF)
Washington Governor's Council on Substance Abuse, September 2006
Other
Behind
the Drug: The Child Victims of Meth Labs
American
Prosecutors Research Institute, November 2002
Drug
Endangered Children: A Prosecutor’s View (PDF)
National
Crime Prevention Council
The Methamphetamine Menace
(PDF)
National
Conference of State Legislatures, January 2004
See MethResources: Publications and Research for additional publications concerning drug endangered children.
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DEC Conferences/Trainings
Upcoming
May 7–9, 2008
Infant and Early Childhood Conference
Bellevue, Washington
June 2–6, 2008
Equal Justice for Children: Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse
Memphis, Tennessee
October 6–8, 2008
National Drug Endangered Children 5th Annual Conference
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ongoing
Arizona Drug-Endangered Children Program Training and Technical Assistance
"Drugs and Society: The True Cost to You!" Drug Endangered Children (Webcast)
Drug Endangered Children Investigations Course
Drug Endangered Children: Training for Trainers
Kentucky's Drug Endangered Child Training Network
Salt
Lake City Police Department Drug Endangered Children Training Class
See the Upcoming Conferences and Training and Technical Assistance sections of our MethResources Web site for additional events.
Do you have information about a DEC training/conference? If so, please e-mail ONDCP with information about the event.
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