Attorney General Masto Promotes Drug Endangered Children Awareness Initiative


April 10, 2014

Identifying Drug Endangered Children: A Collaborative Approach Trainings to be held across the State in observance of Drug Endangered Children Awareness Day

    LAS VEGAS – Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and the Nevada DEC Alliance announce two regional trainings for practitioners to identify children at risk of neglect and abuse related to parental drug use, including prenatal exposure, in order to advance intervention skills to prevent harm.

      “Our office has made great progress in laying a firm foundation for the vital social change of the Drug Endangered Children initiative throughout Nevada,” said Masto.

        April 29, 2014 from 8:30am - 4:30pm
        Regional Public Safety Training Center
        5190 Spectrum Blvd., Reno, NV 89512

          May 1, 2014 from 8:30am - 4:00pm
          Chaparral High School Theatre
          3850 Annie Oakley Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89121

            Individuals can register at http://www.nvpartnership4training.com. The seminar is targeted to law enforcement, social workers and prosecutors and is POST, CLE, and CEU certified.

              To serve Nevada’s most vulnerable population, the Office of Drug Endangered Children has formalized the Nevada Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, and Nevada is now recognized as the 25th and most recent state to establish a state alliance affiliated with the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC).

                Nevada is part of a national effort and is working hand-in-hand with states across the country to raise awareness about the risks posed to children when their caregivers are involved in drug trafficking or drug abuse. Because prescription pain killers are legal and prescribed by doctors, not everyone is aware of the risk these drugs pose. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, across the U.S. a baby is born every hour with signs of opiate drug withdrawal. The number of new mothers who tested positive for the use of opiates, that include prescription pain killers, increased five-fold between 2000 and 2009. In addition, Nevada Child Protective Services agencies reported that 308 infants were born in 2013 with drugs in their system.

                  To learn more about prenatal substance exposure visit http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov. Event flyers can be found here. For more information on Drug Endangered Children in Nevada go to www.decnevada.org.

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