Parental Methamphetamine Use and Manufacture: Child and Familial Outcomes

Abstract

The children of methamphetamine (MA) users and manufacturers are at high risk of neglect and abuse and physical harm from exposure to the drug and the chemicals used to produce it. This study is the first to document the epidemiology of children removed from home-based MA labs and their familial outcomes. Analyses are predominantly descriptive for 99 cases of drug-endangered children recorded from 2001-2003 in Los Angeles County. Neglect was substantiated in 93% of the cases; 97% of the cases resulted in child protective services detainment. Eighty percent had a documented medical diagnosis, most often related to exposure to MA manufacture.