Work of the Devil: Cocaine

by Fatherofeight | More from this Blogger

17 Feb 2007 08:41 PM

In my last blog, I wondered whether drugs have some of the blame for the increase in child abuse cases in our country. There have recently been a number of incidents in elementary schools where children have brought cocaine to the classroom. A few days ago, an eight year old boy in Houston brought three packets of cocaine to school.

Apparently, several of his classmates told a teacher and the Houston police were called in. The boy told authorities that he did not know what the substance was, other than that it was valuable. He had taken it from one of his father's shelves.

During the investigation, the boy and his three younger siblings were removed from the home. Now, his father, who has a previous criminal record, has been arrested for drug possession. When that happened, CPS allowed the children to return to the home because their grandmother was willing to take care of them. The mother and the father, when and if he is released from jail, are forbidden to be around the children.

In the last few months, a Florida boy brought cocaine to his first grade class and a child brought crack cocaine to his kindergarten class in New York. Last year in Ohio, a child brought crack to his school and a second grade boy in Philadelphia was passing crack out to other children.

In an issue closer to home, our children's pediatrician has told me that several children that she sees as patients had to be hospitalized when they ingested cocaine that their parents had left out. She said that she examines those children very closely when they come in.

This subject matter is very relevant to prospective adoptive parents of special needs children. Many of them once lived in a home where drug use took precedence over child safety. Many others were subjected to cocaine, or other dangerous drugs, in the womb. It is almost one of the givens in adopting a child from the foster system.

I have previously written about the crack dealers who operated openly in the poverty-stricken apartments that were near our former church. Once they knew that I was not with law enforcement, I could sit and talk to them while drug deals were being completed. Why were they allowed to operate so openly?

My speculation is that no one cared about the children because they were poor, at-risk, minority kids with no future in sight. Someone should care.

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Crickett (272) 17 Feb 2007 07:57 PM

Good article, Ed

~Crickett

rsbg (501) 17 Feb 2007 11:29 PM

We all need to care.... drug abuse is running rampant and it is only getting worse. These children are our future, whether they are poor, minority, or rich. Being poor should not mean you don't have a future..... but too many times that is the case. And it is really really sad.

Fatherofeight (2475) 18 Feb 2007 07:22 AM

Thanks for the comments and encouragement. I just think its a real problem when children are showing up at school with a dangerous illegal drug.

Crickett (272) 18 Feb 2007 06:15 PM

At an elementary school I taught at a kid showed up with a bag of white powder- it turned out to be AJAX or something, but he pretended it was cocaine to imitate his 'cool' older brother.....

Fatherofeight (2475) 18 Feb 2007 07:47 PM

My goodness, they are learning young, too bad this child has a bad one to look up to, Thanks, Crickett.

PATTI (580) 19 Feb 2007 04:11 PM

Dear Ed, As you know children learn by example. We need to pray for them daily and each of us to what we can to help them. PATTI

Fatherofeight (2475) 19 Feb 2007 05:15 PM

Its scary when little kids have such bad examples. Thanks