Pubdate: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 Source: Springfield News-Leader (MO) http://springfield.news-leader.com/news/_archive/0728-Kidscalled-143285.h= tmlCopyright: 2004 The Springfield News-LeaderContact: 2004 The Springfield News-Leader Contact: http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1129 Author: Matt Wagner KIDS CALLED METH'S SILENT VICTIMS National Expert At Local Conference On Drug Use Says Children Are Put At Risk. Bobby's tiny body - belly bloated and ribs bulging - lies on a stainless-steel autopsy table, a testament to methamphetamine's grim toll on children. Ron Mullins tells Bobby's story everywhere he goes. A graphic photograph of the boy's corpse is a reminder of the worst sort, he said. "We had the opportunity to rescue him, and we didn't," said Mullins, national training coordinator for the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children in San Diego. The baby boy, who was born to a meth-addicted mother in New Mexico, was discovered during a drug raid. Lying in soiled sheets, Bobby couldn't catch his breath long enough to eat. His lungs were severely impaired from living inside a home where cooking meth and getting high took precedence above all else. After 25 years with the New Mexico State Police, Mullins - now retired - has dismantled hundreds of makeshift labs used to cook the toxic homemade concoction. "This drug is like nothing I've ever seen," he said. "This drug will absolutely steal your soul." But adults who smoke, snort and inject the destructive stimulant don't just end up hurting themselves, Mullins said. They neglect, abuse and contaminate children in the process, the ex-cop told more than 60 people Tuesday morning at a conference sponsored by Community Partnership of the Ozarks. Law enforcement officials, firefighters, child protective services workers and medical professionals were among those who attended. "I call children silent victims," he said. "Quite often no one speaks for them. You have to be their voice. They're counting on you." Mullins' presentation is peppered with sobering pictures of what happens to human flesh when meth cooks "flop," or make dangerous mistakes. Spilled chemicals lead to severe skin rashes and respiratory problems. And flare-ups or explosions can singe hair, cause serious burns or even kill those who risk the highly volatile cooking process. One in every six meth labs results in a fire or explosion, Mullins said. Last month, a man allegedly cooking meth in the basement of a southwest Greene County home was severely burned when the lab exploded. Three children inside the house when the lab blew up were removed and placed in the custody of relatives. When children are taken into state custody, the Missouri Department of Social Services is required by law to place them with family members when possible. But children handed over to family members after meth lab busts are rarely out of harm's way for long, said Bill Dyer, group supervisor for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Springfield office. All too often, parents arrested for manufacturing meth make bail and regain custody of their children, Dyer said. Sometimes within 24 hours, he said. Formally filing charges against the parents makes little difference, said Greene County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Todd Myers. "It is not uncommon for children to be placed back in the custody of their parents even if there are charges pending against the parents for a drug violation," Myers said. Social workers with Missouri's Children's Division said custody issues are complicated by the state's emphasis on kinship care. "It's a balancing act," explained Vanessa Johnston with the Children's Division. Decision-making involving drug-endangered children often leads to interagency friction, Mullins said. Both Myers and Melissa Haddow, executive director of Community Partnership of the Ozarks, noted the issue is not easily solved. But the protocols for dealing with children at a meth lab, established by the alliance and implemented in other communities, seem to be making a positive impact, Mullins said. On-site decontamination vehicles, mentorship programs and accurate tracking of exposure to meth and its ingredients are needed in Greene County, Mullins added. "Nobody's addressing the problem," he said. "But it is fixable. Children are damaged (by meth exposure), but they're not doomed." Community Partnership of the Ozarks is especially interested in the prospect of a decontamination vehicle - essentially a 30-foot recreational vehicle where children are given clean clothes and a urine sample is collected. It's also a place for investigators to conduct initial interviews. "It is absolutely a priority of ours," Haddow said. The vehicle would cost between $75,000 to $100,000, Haddow said, adding that the partnership is actively seeking donors and even considering buying a used RV. Having a comfortable place for kids to go when police officers raid meth labs is the first of many steps toward improvement, Haddow said, admitting that the region hasn't adequately addressed issues surrounding drug-endangered children. "It's not anyone's fault in the community," she said. "It's simply that no one knew what to do." Haddow added: "We needed to get everybody here to hear the same story. I think this really opened up a lot of eyes about how serious and systemic the problem is in our community."