Steubenville Baby Surrounded by Heroin and Needles

On February 4, 2015, in Steubenville, Ohio, a nine-month-old baby was found during a heroin bust by the Jefferson County Drug Task Force and Steubenville City Police. The child was surrounded by heroin and hypodermic needles as it lay sleeping. Valerie West and Joe Brown were found on the same bed, under the influence, with the infant.

"It appears as though they traffic the drugs, make their money and then obviously they use the drugs also. Some needles were capped. Some weren't capped,” Detective Tommy Ellis of the Jefferson County Drug Task Force. “When we walked into the bedroom, we were concerned that the baby would wake up and touch one of these needles. It would prick or hurt his or her finger. A disease could be transferred from the needle to the person."

"We take that very seriously. And we immediately called children services who removed the child from the residence. It breaks your heart to see kids have to grow up in an environment like this. It's a shame," said Ellis.

Suspects West and Brown face a number of charges.

("Baby Surrounded By Heroin and Needles in Bust." WTOV Channel 9.

Steubenville-Wheeling. February 5, 2015)   

The sickening reality of this story draws many emotions from me -- disbelief, shock, anger, contempt, and rage. It is a clear example of the human propensity to commit evil through the instrument of a potentially deadly substance. Heroin effectively kills the conscience of its sinful victim as it destroys the mind, body, and soul.

This absolute loss of care creates a horrible image of a baby, a pitiful slave of innocence, trapped in a hell of poisonous living. I'm sure the criminal parents will plead how much they care for this child, yet they soil its very place of rest with venomous chemicals. Thank God for the officers in the bust. I pray this baby may begin a better life with new guardians who will love and nurture it.

After reading this report, I cannot get the image of the scene out of my mind. I detest heroin, and while I know addicts need help, I cannot feel any pity for those who commit child abuse while under the influence. I wonder why parents cannot see that they are abusing their children just by using the chemical. Not only do they create innumerable risks that put their child in immediate physical and psychological danger, but they also effectively insure their long-term relationships with their child will soon end.

Taking heroin is sure to scramble all reasoning and in the process, extinguish love and care. The substance becomes the one object of love for an addict. Oh, the addicted person may believe he or she can be a responsible parent; however, that is a LIE. Raising a child requires more than just procreation, providing food and shelter, and being there. Raising a child requires sober, industrious parents capable of living a good life while providing nurturing for their offspring.

If you must abuse deadly substances, please ... please remove your children from the environment that promises to harm them. Even if they never taste the chemical of your abuse, they will surely endure the evil that you perpetuate while in your state of addiction. The physical and mental harm you and your substance cause your children is child abuse, pure and simple.

Do not lie to yourself and think you can shield children from your insobriety. YOU, through your addiction and wicked influence, insure another generation of drug abuse unless you find help and STAY sober. The height of callousness is believing your addiction does not harm your children. If you are so heartless that you cannot stop taking drugs and lead a clean life for the sake of your children, you do not deserve to be a father or a mother.