Children at Risk with Legal Marijuana

Marijuana legalization is fast becoming a reality for residents of some states, although it remains illegal under the federal laws that govern much of  Indian Country. Many states permit medicinal use of marijuana, while voters in Colorado and Washington have legalized recreational use by adults.

The National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children asked leading experts in Washington and Colorado to comment on the effect that they expect legal marijuana to have. Esther Larsen from the Washington Alliance for DEC, responded,

"Perception of associated risks has decreased, most notably among youth and adolescents according to Washington State's Healthy Youth Survey. The majority of all youth drug treatment admissions are for marijuana, both legal and illegal, with an increase of 20% from 2007 to 2012, according to Washington's Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery. Washington State's Toxicology Laboratory lists marijuana consistently as the most common drug detected among impaired drivers with drugs present in their blood."

Jade Woodard, Executive Director of Colorado Drug Endangered Children, added,

"There are many ways in which children will be impacted by marijuana legalization. Due to the legalization, it is estimated that marijuana use will increase, therefore increasing the risk of children experiencing abuse or neglect as a result of impaired caregivers. Significant concerns have been raised about the risk to children of ingesting infused marijuana products. A recent article in JAMA Pediatrics outlines the increase that has been seen in unintentional ingestion of marijuana or marijuana products by children. These children have displayed symptoms such as non-arousability and respiratory distress with some children actually being admitted into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Additionally, research by National Jewish Hospital and Colorado Drug Investigators Association identified significant health hazards of indoor marijuana cultivation, especially for children. Finally, an ongoing concern of marijuana legalization centers around the increase in teen marijuana use and concerns regarding the diversion of marijuana to those under age 21. There are reports of increased rates of school suspensions, expulsions, and dropouts related to teen marijuana use. It is critical that training, education, and monitoring of the impacts of marijuana legalization on children and families be prioritized for Colorado."

We hope the political leaders of these states will heed Ms. Woodard's words.

Drug Endangered Children Face Immediate and Long Term Harm

In 2004, when Governor Dave Freudenthal signed the order creating the Wyoming Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, the order pointed to both the immediate effects and the long-term harm done to children by exposure to toxic drugs, particularly methamphetamine. Besides "profound abuse and neglect, [and] exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards," children "can be faced with life-long mental and physical health problems" and require "a continuum of care."

 Trainers from the National Alliance DEC have been in Riverton this week to work with local law enforcement who are gradually implementing a collaborative approach to recognize, report and remediate situations where caregivers' drug or alcohol use is threatening their children. In an interview with kcwy13, Riverton police officers also point to the spectrum of harm drug endangered children face. In the short term, they describe how young children can suffer from toxic exposure to drugs: "It can be ingested by the child by just being in the same room if that is being done in that house or residence where that child is playing. Their toys can be contaminated, their food, so it is a huge concern." As the kids get older, the officers say "We see them acting out at school, we see them hanging out on street corners, we see them abusing alcohol and drugs at earlier and earlier ages."

Riverton is stepping up its program in response to several cases of children being endangered by drugs in their environment, particularly with the increase in methamphetamine abuse. Last summer, a couple was arrested for simultaneously dealing meth and running a babysitting business out of their trailer home. Then in the fall, a 1-year old and a 9-month old were suspected of being injected with a drug, leading to their mother's arrest for meth.  Another woman, hallucinating on meth, freaked out customers at the McDonald's by barking like a dog, then sped away with a small child.

From our own tribal communities, we know how problems of substance abuse can pass from one generation to the next. But hope also passes on from one generation to the next, and so does determination to create a better community, starting today. Visit our website for upcoming training opportunities to learn what you can do in your tribal community.

Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day

The National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children observes DEC Awareness Month throughout April, but today is the day everyone involved in helping these children and their families is focusing on solutions. State and tribal DEC Alliances have spent this month getting proclamations signed, coordinating social media campaigns and organizing events with state and local governments. National Alliance DEC Vice President Lori Moriarty has created this short video to highlight why we work so hard to make a difference for drug endangered children and their families.



Do you want to hear more about what Lori has to say? Sign up for one of our tuition-free regional training sessions, where Lori will expand on the role of National DEC in protecting our children. Lori will also be helping tribal professionals develop an action plan for improving identification of drug endangered children in your community through a collaborative approach in a tuition-free webinar this November 6.


If you think drug endangered children deserve more awareness year around, we agree! So does Michele Justice, the owner of Personnel Security Consultants, Inc. We've featured PSC as one of our Native businesses in the spotlight, in part because of their dedication to raising awareness about DEC through their community calendar program. PSC sponsors an annual art contest to gather art from Native students to illustrate the beautiful "Our Children, Our Responsibility" calendar. This beautiful calendar features monthly tips on identifying and reporting DEC in your community, covering topics such as who is a mandated reporter, who receives reports of child abuse, types of abuse and more. The numbers for the childhelp national abuse hotline and the Indian Country child abuse hotline are printed on every page. Use their online order form if you just need a few, but if you are ordering for a large department, contact PSC to discuss bulk rates.