When parents choose to use methamphetamine, their children often suffer the consequences as well.
"Many times when we bust these places we find little kids who live in the house with highly dangerous chemicals in horrible situations," U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton said.
Last year, almost 3,000 children nationwide were found living in homes with meth labs. Child advocates say one child in a meth lab is too many.
"Often times even a toddler will test positive just from being around the chemicals, not necessarily because they ingested anything, it's just that potent," Child Protect Services investigator Liz Holland said.
Cory Jones is a caseworker with CPS. Most of her cases are meth-related, she said. Her job is to reunite families.
"In my experience here I've never reunified a family with a substance abuse problem such as meth," Jones said. "It's such an addictive substance that parents often don't even participate in the services. Typically, in my experience, the parents often just disappear."
That, of course, can be tough on children. The hurt can be so intense that the children take refuge in the drug as well.
CPS Investigators say the users are getting younger.
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Meth and kids
The children of meth users often lose their parents and end up addicted to the drug.
 
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"I've had children that I've dealt with who are addicted to methamphetamines who were turned on to it by their parents. They grew up in meth labs moving place to place, one step ahead of the cops and they wind up users too," Holland said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found in 2003, 12.3 million Americans 12 and older reported using meth at least once in their life. The majority of meth users are people between the ages of 18 to 25.
"This particular substance just seems to grab hold, even for adults who are very committed to trying to kick this problem, it's extraordinarily difficult, more than any other substance we've seen before," Holland said.
CPS only recently began keeping count of meth-related cases. All employees are required to know the signs that a home may contain the drug. There's also a procedure for handling children who may have been exposed to the chemicals.
