|
Internet Versions of KELOLAND News stories about Meth in the area:
'Cleaning Up the Meth Mess'
'Inmate Speaks About Meth Addiction'
'KELOLand Woman's Struggle to Get Her Brother Off Meth'
'Breaking Free From Meth'
'Meth Orphans'
Meth in
the News
|
Originally found on
KELO 08/11/2005
Methamphetamine is now the number one illegal drug problem in America. But
because the drug is so easily made in a person's home with everyday
household products, innocent young children are often caught in the
middle. They're called Meth Orphans.
Tonight on Eye on KELOLAND we take a closer look at the heart wrenching
scenes being played out all across America, even here in KELOLAND and
talked to a child about what it's like to be pulled out of their home and
away from their family.
While the parents are arrested, children, even babies are ripped away from
their homes and taken to safety.
"She was never home so I figured something was going on."
A 14 year old girl, who we'll call Jessica because she doesn't want to be
identified, is the daughter of a meth mom. Jessica knows what it feels
like to be taken away. Her mother was busted for meth and sentenced to 5
years in prison. So she and her two siblings now live with grandma.
"We had a nice home, nice cars everything was just perfect, we had a
normal life before my mom started using."
Jessica says when her mom was using meth she lived in fear, afraid
something bad would happen to her or her mom. For two years, it was her
dark secret, never telling her friends.
"I didn't want them to know I would go to school really tired from being
up all night because my mom was up all night and just pretend to be happy
and smile."
But Jessica isn't alone. A growing number of children are becoming meth
orphans.
"Our main concern is obviously that the children are safe."
Vicki Burger, who works for child protection services in South Dakota,
sees the disturbing images that some children are living in.
"We had some conditions when we found a child's bottle next to chemical
where meth can be made, there's weapons in these homes of some of the
people that live in these homes are violent," said Burger.
In the past year, South Dakota Child Protection Services has removed 318
children from their homes because their parents were meth users.
When there's a meth raid, child protection services takes along this
emergency bag. In it are items like sippy cups, blankets, stuffed animals,
for the older kids watches, DVDs and books, because during a raid, a child
isn't allowed to take along any personal items.
Instead, the child's clothing, toys and other items are usually
contaminated so badly with the meth making chemicals they must be
destroyed.
It's up to the courts to decide, whether children live with a relative or
in foster care, but rarely do they go back to be with their parent.
"Most of the children will stay in our custody because the meth situations
that they have come from, kinds of parents are they're being removed from,
have such severe problems that the children haven't been able to return
quickly," said Burger.
As sad as that sounds, Burger says it's better than being at home.
"They're safe these children experience different things because of the
parents that's going on in the homes, we see a big number of kids who are
physically abused, people who use meth are very irritable, they don't have
the skills to deal with such as a baby crying."
An environment Jessica knows all too well.
"I use to be really mad, because I use to get a lot of attention and love
and then when she started using that was all gone, I felt like I was all
alone."
When Jessica turned 14 last year, her mother was high on meth so she
couldn't celebrate with her. Then when her mother was sent to prison,
Jessica 'missed celebrating Christmas, Easter, and even Mother's Day with
her.
Jessica's mother is out of prison now and getting treatment. She gets to
visit her once a week.
Don
Jorgensen
© 2005 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
|
