Interestingly enough, neither of them (mom or live-in BF) look like long time meth users. Odds are, they likely weren't.
That said, it doesn't matter how long they used/cooked/sold. What matters is, Ms. Meth obviously became #1 in their lives, over and above anything else, including all responsibilities and that includes the health and welfare of children. Usually the way it works out.
I haven't seen anything in the msm that suggests little Owen got ahold of any of their stash or OD'd or anything like that. The only place I've seen that, is speculation and rumor on FB pages. I suppose it's possible that is what happened, I just haven't seen that in the msm articles at all.
Just as an aside, I always see questions in cases like this such as "how could she do that, how could she get involved with this drug?! when she has children!?" Well, it's a legit question with a very twisted, legit answer. Crystal meth, crank, meth, whatever it's called these days (and it's called different things in different places) has this horrible ability to do a lot of things, such as:
- boost energy levels
- make the user feel strong, powerful, in charge
- suppress appetite & cause weight loss
For a young mom, who feels exhausted, overweight after having kids, unappealing, tired, etc., this is like the magic cure-all. Suddenly she's FULL of energy, the house is clean, the hubby/boyfriend is taken care of in the bedroom, and she's feeling like Super Mama. The biggest problem with it though, is that it's all a lie. It's all temporary and eventually she goes from Super Mama to Super Creepy Mom. Meth robs her of her healthy complexion and suddenly she looks like a perpetual Chicken Pox sufferer. The house cleaning binges she once went on, now are replaced with picking things off her face that she thinks are there - even if they're not. Those bedroom adventures are then replaced with more and more perverted ideas she's willing to entertain to keep boyfriend/hubby happy. The downward spiral is quick, and before she even has time to think about it, she's trapped in it. She lost that baby/preggo fat but now she looks like a POW camp survivor, but she doesn't see herself that way. Even the religious and/or philosophical ideas and beliefs she once held to, she twists and turns and thinks of them in different ways than she once did. She honestly doesn't think she's endangering her kids, she thinks she's a better, smarter, more attuned mom. She doesn't realize meth has turned her into a certifiable head-case.
Meth is one of the most insidious, invasive, deceptive, horrific drugs anyone can ever ingest into themselves. It literally changes *everything* about you. I'm not making ANY excuses about moms who use meth, I'm just being 100% honest about what it does, from my experience as a young mom who was around all KINDS of young moms who were using it, and who STOPPED using it. And sadly, some moms who didn't stop. It's all 100% your choice. It's not as if it shows up and forces you to use.
Just a few thoughts from someone who's been there. MOO.