Heroin Parents Facing Charges for Child Neglect/Abuse

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The trap of opiate addiction is overwhelming and often the heroin parentresponsibilities of parenthood are no match for the cravings of the drug.

A couple of stories from the news recently highlight the bad parenting decisions that heroin addiction can lead to.

Krystal Lynn Woodson, 23, gave birth to a baby boy February 5, 2011 at Mary Washington Hospital in West Virginia. This is usually a family’s reason to celebrate, but unfortunately the baby was born already addicted to heroin and OxyContin.

Teresa Polinske is the prosecutor in the casea against Woodson. Polinske said that Woodson used heroin and OxyContin throughout her pregnancy. The shocking news is that this is Woodson’s ninth pregnancy.

Polinske said that two days after Woodson gave birth, she snuck out of Mary Washington hospital and was seen stripping at a local club in West Virginia. She allegedly was there to meet her boyfriend.

Woodson is a long time resident of Virginia; court records show that she has two misdemeanor convictions on her record.

Woodson and her attorney George Marzloff were in court on the first of April, trying to get a bond to have Woodson released from the Rappahannock Regional Jail until trial. Marzloff defense was that Woodson is not a flight risk and she has a job pending.

Judge J. Martin Bass denied the bond request, stating that Woodson is indeed a flight risk and a danger to herself. She is charged with possession of illegal drugs, child abuse and neglect. Woodson was indicted by a county grand jury and later arrested.

Casey from The Adolescents, D.I., and Social Distortion

Woodson was not the only parent arrest for neglecting her children last month due to heroin. One of the co-founders of the punk band The Adolescents and the sole remaining original member of D.I., Casey Royer, 52, was arrested.

Royer allegedly overdosed on heroin while watching T.V. with his 12-year-old son. Royer’s son had to run to the neighbor’s house for help and call the police.

When the police arrived they said that Royer’s residence was littered with garbage and drug paraphernalia. Royer was rushed to the hospital and revived, then arrested.

Royer was charged with one count of child endangerment and one count of being under the influence of heroin. He is being held on $120,000 bail.

Experts and reporters across the nation are showing that the abuse of pharmaceuticals and the use of heroin are on the rise. The use of these drugs recreationally are very dangerous, and Royer is very lucky that his son reacted to the situation, because heroin overdoses can be fatal.

Depending on a variety of factors like:

– the health of the user

– the tolerance of the user

– drug interactions

– what the heroin is “cut” with

death from opiate overdose can take minutes to several hours. The death is often caused by anoxia, which means a decrease in the level of oxygen to the brain.

An overdose can be caused by an unexpected increase in the dose or purity, also because of a diminished opioid tolerance. However an overdose can immediately be reversible with an opioid antagonist injection.

There is a growing movement to partially “legalize” heroin so that users can use it in a more controlled environment that will allow them to get the necessary emergency care in the event of an overdose.

If you or someone you know needs help for an addiction to heroin or other opiates, we suggest getting in touch with a treatment professional immediately  – because every use of heroin could be the final use. Read more about this reality in an excellent article about the bad news about opiate abuse’s dangers.