I have been seeing so much news this week on children under the age of 5 who have been given drugs like meth, tobacco and other substances, that I felt compelled to write an article on this topic so you know the forces of evil are playing hardball on our kids and families. All information for this article is taken from websites which their links are found after the information. Please do your research and help children. Understand that changing one child's life can change everyone they have contact with.
Drug Stats on Infants:
1. The number of babies that are estimated to be born every year with a dependency to at least one substance: 440,000.
2. There is 1 baby born every hour in the United States that is suffering from opiate withdrawal. https://healthresearchfunding.org/20-profound-drug-addicted-babies-statistics/
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome that occurs primarily among opioid-exposed infants shortly after birth, often manifested by central nervous system irritability, autonomic overreactivity, and gastrointestinal tract dysfunction https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6531a2.htm
70% of chronic opiate users will have a baby that is born dependent.
3. Alcohol used during pregnancy can result in FASD. An estimated 40,000 newborns each year are affected by FAS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or have FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, with damage ranging from major to subtle.
1 in 100 babies have FASD, nearly the same rate as Autism. FASD is more prevalent than Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, SIDS, Cystic Fibrosis, and Spina Bifida combined. Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects, developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities.
Children born to women who engage in moderate to severe drinking during pregnancy run the risk of their child being born with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a classification which includes the three main disorders relating to alcohol consumption: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), and Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND).
The Institute of Medicine says, “Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.” https://www.nofas.org/factsheets/
4. Estimates suggest that about 5 percent of pregnant women use one or more addictive substances, and there are around 750,000 cocaine-exposed pregnancies every year.
Cocaine use during pregnancy is associated with maternal migraines and seizures, premature membrane rupture, and separation of the placental lining from the uterus prior to delivery https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/cocaine/what-are-effects-maternal-cocaine-use
A 2000 study examining the long term effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on babies found that neurological changes take place in-utero due to the drug’s effect on dopamine and serotonin pathways. However, studies on laboratory animals indicate these neural pathways return to normal into adulthood. Despite this, behavioral issues remain. Researchers believe prenatal exposure to cocaine might lead to an increased risk of seizures, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease in adults. http://www.drugrehab.org/drug-addiction-and-babies-long-term-effects/
5. Unfortunately, heroin use is all too prevalent; the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report showed that 329,000 people in the US reported using heroin in the past month This includes women of childbearing age. The survey found that approximately 79,000 women aged 15-44 in the US reported using heroin in the past month.
Heroin is a drug that appears to have a significant impact not only on the behaviors and cognitive development of children exposed to heroin prenatally, but also on the stability of their home environment. https://drugabuse.com/library/heroin-pregnancy/
Heroin use during pregnancy can result in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/heroin/how-does-heroin-abuse-affect-pregnant-women
Heroin use can also be deadly to the developing fetus or the newborn baby. Aside from increased miscarriage risk due to complications like placental abruption, illicit drug use during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth (death of a baby in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy) by 2 to 3 times
6. The 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 1.6 million people reported using meth in the past year and that 569,000 people were currently using meth at the time of the survey 2. One of the reasons meth is so prevalent is because it can be made with relative ease from legal (yet toxic) ingredients, such as Freon® and paint thinner 3.
In 2012, meth ranked first in drug-related treatment admissions in Hawaii and San Diego
One study of meth-related emergency room visits found that more than 400,000 reproductive-aged women reported using meth in the prior month. Another study found that meth was the primary substance requiring treatment during pregnancy between 1994 and 2006.
In a Swedish study, children who were exposed to meth in utero were tested at birth, at 1 year, and at 4 years. Researchers found that females exposed to meth were significantly shorter and lighter than the males.
At age 8, there was a significant correlation between how much meth a fetus was exposed to in utero and the level of aggressive behavior and social maladjustment. When the children were tested at age 14 and 15 years old, they performed significantly worse than their peers on math tests. However, this study was also confounded by variables outside of the researchers’ control, such as maternal polysubstance use, stress levels, environment, number of siblings, and foster care placements.
Some studies suggest that the use of meth during pregnancy can result in fetal abnormalities 8. Other studies have reported that meth use during pregnancy can increase the risk of cleft lip in babies 8. A case control study found that mothers who used drugs during the first trimester had over 3 times the risk of having a baby with gastroschisis 8. Gastroschisis is a birth defect in which the baby’s intestines stick outside of the body from a hole near the belly button https://drugabuse.com/library/meth-pregnancy/
7.Smoking marijuana while pregnant:
A study published in 1994 showed that children aged 3 and older whose mothers smoked marijuana during pregnancy had a decrease in attention span, brain function, and memory. A similar study in 2004 showed that children born to mothers who smoked marijuana in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy had higher levels of anxiety and depression.
https://greenkidsdoc.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/childhood-exposure-to-marijuana-what-you-should-know/
Stats on Children and Drug Use
1. The best way to find out if high school kids do drugs is to ask them. That's exactly what NIDA does every year in its annual Monitoring the Future study. This survey of more than 46,000 teens—8th, 10th, and 12th graders to be exact—showed that 13 percent of 8th graders, 30 percent of 10th graders, and 40 percent of 12th graders say they have used a drug at least once in the past year. https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/real-teens-ask-how-many-teens-use-drugs
2. As a mom, dad, sibling or guardian of a middle schooler, it may be hard to believe that your pre-teen could be using drugs or drinking underage. But data from the last decade shows rates of middle school substance abuse and addiction in kids as young as 11 or 12 years old have swelled across the United States. In 2015, more than 8% of 8th graders reported using illicit drugs.
In the past year, the most commonly used drugs among 8th graders are:
Marijuana (11.7%)
Inhalants (5.3%)
Synthetic marijuana (3.3%)
Cough medicine (2%)
Tranquilizers (1.7%)
Hallucinogens (1.3%)
OxyContin (1%)
Vicodin (1%)
Cocaine (1%)
Ecstasy or MDMA (0.9%)
Ritalin (0.9%)
3. Recent data shows teen alcohol abuse is a serious problem with middle schoolers. Boys are more likely to try drinking before girls, and the average age at first use is 11 years old, around the end of elementary school. https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/teen-addiction/middle-school-drug-use/#gref
4. More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.
5. The United States represents 5% of the world's population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.
6. About 50% of high school seniors do not think it's harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice.
Teen Drug use Statistics
Statistics on teen drug use from the Monitoring the Future survey in 2018 vary depending on the specific substances used, including:
Opioids: 1 in 3 high schools seniors reported that prescription opioids were easily accessible
Marijuana: among 12th-grade students, 1 in 4 report that regular marijuana use is highly risky, yet rates of vaping of marijuana have increased significantly in recent years
Alcohol: past-month use of alcohol was reported by 30 percent of high school seniors in the 2018 survey
Nicotine and tobacco: rates of past-year vaping of these substances increased by one-third across all grades, and vaping is the second most common route of substance use in 8th-, 10th- and 12th-grade students
Talking to Your Teen About Drug Use
Most researchers and mental health professionals believe that it is best to discuss drug use with children early, before they are teenagers, and at a level that they can understand.
Unfortunately, sometimes parents and teens have their first meaningful conversations about drug use directly after teenage drug use has been suspected or discovered. Such conversations can lead to confrontational and emotionally tense scenarios that are less productive.
If a Teen Admitted to Drug Use
Teens who admit to drug use without prompting are likely to do well in recovery programs, as making such an admission takes courage and a willingness to be honest.
Additionally, teenagers who admit to drug use after being asked by a loved one or teacher can be praised for their ability to tell the truth when called upon.
If a Teen Denies Drug Use
When teens deny their drug use, parents or educators may face a difficult choice as to whether or not to believe the denial. As a parent, you could ask for a confirmatory drug test, but that may result in a decrease in trust and communication between you and your teen. In these instances, if drug use is suspected despite the denial, it is best to seek professional consultation.
An intervention strategy organized by a professional interventionist may be useful in helping smooth communications between parents and teens who struggle with drug addiction. A successful intervention often leads to enrollment at a rehab center.
Recent Articles in The News about Parents Giving Kids Drugs
1. A Wisconsin mother allegedly let men abuse two young children for years in exchange for drugs and money, according to KTLA sister station WEAU.
Michelle Mayer, 39, of Eau Claire, has been charged with two counts of repeated sexual assault of a child, party to a crime. The abuse allegedly started years ago when Mayer allowed different men into her mother’s house, according to WTMJ. The men allegedly gave Mayer meth, cocaine and money, and, in return, she allowed them to sexually and physically assault two children she was trafficking, ages 6 and 9, according to a criminal complaint.
http://ktla.com/2018/03/22/woman-accused-of-injecting-children-with-meth-letting-men-sexually-assault-them/
2. KLAMATH, Ore. - — Nickolaus Neace, 24, was arrested Saturday for allegedly injecting his 3-month-old son with meth.
He was charged with endangering the welfare of a minor and recklessly endangering another person, both of which are considered misdemeanors.
Neace pleaded not guilty to all charges. http://ktvl.com/news/local/klamath-falls-man-allegedly-injected-infant-son-with-meth
https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/father-allegedly-injects-baby-with-meth/article_293dc2c1-06a2-562a-9212-bba57875aa64.html
3. SPANISH FORK, Utah -- Police said a mother and father were arrested after they gave their newborn daughter drugs on the day she was born, CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City reports.
Wilde admitted that he applied crushed Suboxone pills to the infant's gums after the child's birth on April 9th while nurses and medical staffers were out of the room, police said. Suboxone is a prescription pain medication used for addiction treatment. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colby-glen-wilde-lacey-dawn-christenson-arrested-newborn-daughter-meth-heroin-morphine/
4. Two parents have been accused of injecting their three young children with heroin to put them to sleep in a home filled with rat droppings and drug needles.
Ashlee Hutt, 24, and boyfriend Leroy McIver, 25, allegedly told the children - girls aged 2 and 4 and a boy aged 6 - that they were being injected with "sleeping juice" or "feel good medicine".
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/parents-injected-three-children-heroin-9178457
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/11/01/parents-injected-children-with-heroin-as-feel-good-medicine-police-say/
5. A North Carolina mother helped her 1-year-old daughter smoke marijuana in videos of the child puffing on a cigarillo that garnered millions of views online, according to an arrest warrant.
http://time.com/5210725/brianna-ashanti-lofton-arrested-baby-smoking-cigar/
Matthew 18:6 - But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Romans 12:19 - Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Deuteronomy 32:35 - To me [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
Matthew 25:40 - And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me
Luke 17:2 - It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Now you can see what is wrong with our society. Drug use is so popular especially while pregnant. When a child is born addicted they suffer the rest of their lives. I believe that this is a Major reason the US is falling apart. When the next generation is old enough to run this country, We need to ask : Will they be mentally and physically capable to do so without destroying us? Seems that we really need to get our priories in check when it comes to drugs.
Resources for rehabilitation and help because you are not alone:
Florida- The Recovery Village-
866-508-9599
Midwest- Assisted Recovery Centers of America-
314-645-6840
California- New Life Recovery Centers Inc.
866-894-6572
North- Hope Network Center for Recovery
616.279.3725
Louisiana- Edgefield Recovery Center
out patient- (318) 473-9119
In patient- 318-279-2751
Advanced Recovery Systems- Drug Rehab Centers Across America
877-589-4784
Delphi Behavioral Health Group
Comprehensive Guide on Alcohol Addiction
