By Bonnie Washuk,Staff Writer

Children living in homes where parents ran meth labs are often exposed to poison and neglect, according to an Oregon expert on crimes involving the drug methamphetamine.

A 3-year-old Lewiston girl, the daughter of Donna Pagnani, 23, and Louis Rubino, 25, was placed in state custody this week when her parents were arrested and charged in connection with an alleged meth lab in their Sabattus Street apartment. Equipment also was taken from a Goff Street, Auburn, residence in connection with the purported drug operation.

Two meth lab busts in Lewiston-Auburn last week “is a horrible trend for you,” said Rob Bovett, a lawyer for the Oregon Narcotics Enforcement Association who has appeared on National Public Radio and telelvision, and network morning news magazines speaking on the country’s problems with methamphetamines.

Maine needs to pass laws, enforce those laws and treat addicts, he said last week. Meth abuse is so bad in the Midwest and West Coast, “It’s put foster care on the edge of disaster.” In Oregon, 95 percent of the cases involving parental rights termination and 80 percent of property crimes, involve meth abuse, he said.

Children living in a home where meth is used by parents “means the kids are not being cared for at all,” Bovett said, who was not familiar with the specifics of the Lewiston case. “These kids are the most severely neglected children we’ve ever run across.”

In addition to common abuse and neglect, “Meth makes people highly sexualized,” said Kim Johnson of Maine’s Substance Abuse Office. “There’s greater likelihood of sexual abuse in meth homes more than other kinds of drugs.”

When addicts have reached the point of not only using but also cooking meth in their own home, they’re willing to poison everything around them, Bovett said. They’re risking fire and explosion.

Toxins created by making the drug “permeate everything,” the beds, the walls, the microwave, the carpet. “Children are getting a low-dose meth exposure 24/7.”

Children also are exposed to “horrific” chemicals, Bovett said. “Instant gasses are produced. One, phosphine gas, is an absolute killer.”

Children taken from meth homes often have chemical burns and big, open soars, Johnson said. The toxins can lead to developmental and behavioral problems in children.

After living in meth homes, children need immediate testing to see what toxic exposure they’ve had. If the exposure is caught early, they may not suffer long-term physical problems, Bovett said.

It’s critical, he said, for them to get “a safe, loving, caring environment.”

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