The Clay County Sheriff’s Department is dealing with a growing problem

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said children being exposed to drugs, sometimes even before they are born, is a growing problem.

“We are getting more proactive in going after these mothers. Illegal grownups know we shouldn’t be using drugs, but when you intentionally endanger your unborn child, you know there’s some statute law that protects that child, and it’s our job to go out here and protect these children,” said Scott.

Scott said sometimes infants first come in contact with drugs in the womb or from breast milk.

However, that’s not the only way exposure can happen.

“One of the main things that we’ve seen, in the many cases we’ve worked, is actually exposure to the smoke. Where they are smoking methamphetamine, we’ve actually worked cases where small children have breathed this, and actually went into seizures and had to be airlifted,” said Scott.

When handling potential drug exposure cases, deputies can’t do it alone.

“We work really close with the Department of Human Services because a lot of times they are the first ones to get the call about some type of drug abuse. So at that point, time is just coordination working with these individuals working with the doctors working with a district attorney’s office working with a crime lab so you know it’s not anything that can be investigated and done overnight. It takes a while to do this stuff,” said Scott.

But even with that team effort, they still face some challenges.

“A lot of times you know when you’re dealing with children, especially in a home where that is drug use, it’s hard sometimes to talk to them, so we have to get outside help to come in. So it’s a lot that goes into, when you are investigating with children it’s a team effort,” said Scott.

Sheriff Scott said his department is working on several of these cases and expects more arrests in the future.