Ashley R. Tull, 30 of Selbyville, Delaware was busted for drugs in an especially costly way. Her 4-year-old daughter mistakenly brought packages of heroin to school and, thinking they were candy, handed them out to friends. Now, Tull faces not just charges for Maintaining a Drug Property but three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (based on her three children).
Authorities responded to an emergency call at the Hickory Tree Child Care Center after daycare workers saw children with small bags of an unknown substance. It proved to be heroin that the child found in her backpack. Several children came into contact with the drug and were placed under observation. A total of 249 bags of heroin, weighing 3.735 grams, was located in the backpack, according to Del. State Police.
Tull was released on $6,000 bail, but she has a no contact order for her kids (who are with a relative).
“A total of 249 bags of heroin, weighing 3.735 grams”
Really?
One-eighth of an ounce per bag (an “eight-ball”), or about 1/80th of a gram per bag?
Typical Turley clarity and editing.
Not to mention the gratuitous racism of the host, and half of the commenters.
(Wow. That sad picture, which could fail to summon pity only in a heart of stone.)
I mean, really. A poverty-stricken, most-likely depressed and despairing individual who sells drugs, and makes exactly the sort of blunder such a pathetic person might make.
And this is newsworthy to the great legal mind of JT.
Please ban me, so I don’t feel compelled to comment here anymore.
Thnx, WSB
BFM – they already drug test mothers during labor if they have a suspicion. If it’s positive, they call CPS. Unfortunately, many drug addicted mothers are either in denial about their pregnancy, or refuse any prenatal care because if they’re not doing a good job passing at sober, they don’t want the doctor asking them any questions that could get them into trouble.
I feel bad for the kids who are born addicted, or who lost the Mom Lottery and have to depend on women like the one in the above story.
Her house must have been REALLY fun for trick or treat!
bfm – I am going to go out on a limb here and say that regardless of how much the drug was ‘cut’ giving it to kids is dangerous.
I think you have made a good point. But in terms of immediate first aid it might make some difference. For example, a tenth of a gram of powder you might see and quickly brush out with a finger or Kleenex. But 1/50 of a gram, I am not so sure. Depending on how quickly it dissolves or the child swallows, you might not even see 1/50 of a gram.
That also brings into the question the news report. 3.7 grams divided into 249 doses may be completely accurate – but that seems like awfully small doses to me. There is just the practical matter of manipulating something as small as 1/50th of a gram. But what do I know. I frequently spill putting vegetables on the plate with a serving spoon.
Rio, I was given training when I worked @ Leavenworth. It was conducted by the DEA. Cocaine is a little bitter, sorta vinegary, but it numbs your tongue in seconds, that’s the telltale sign. That’s the legit use for cocaine, it is a quick and powerful local anesthetic.
@Nick
Unless I am mistaken the cut used to dilute the drug can also make a difference in taste and other physical characteristics.
I am really out of my league here but it seems to me that less than 4 grams cut into 249 doses, and still powerful enough to market, suggest that sample was not cut very much. If not diluted, the drug would be far more powerful and dangerous to small, young bodies.
I just noticed an article in USA Today advocating drug testing every pregnant woman.
That seems a little alarmist to me. My recollection is they make some alarming claim that there is on child born addicted every hour. Of course a quick google suggest that there maybe nearly 500 babies born an hour.
I think it is a reasonable question does it make sense to drug test ever mother when the problem rate is .2% that is .002.
And I am concerned that most of these mothers will wind up in the hands of law enforcement rather than getting the help they really need.
I am in no way pro drug nor am I anti LE. But to my mind things have to be really bad before families benefit from LE intervention.
In may view, however well intentioned, LE does not take small problems and make them better. LE takes major problems an occasionally averts major disasters.
So there are two sides to my concern. The first is whether the magnitude of the problem is large enough to justify testing every mother. And the answer to that question depends in part what kind of help will be provided to mothers with problems?
@ Nick: I’m not going to even ask how you know what H tastes like! 😉
Oh my gosh, that’s awful.
Drug addicts will put their addiction in front of everyone and everything, including their own children. And they resist all offers of help until they decide for themselves. Many never do. I hope the mom gets clean and sober.
I shudder to think of the home environment for that child. She’s lucky neither she nor her friends ate the heroin. They wouldn’t have survived.
BFM, I found Keith Richards book fascinating when he talks about drug use. He had great self discipline, something most addicts and junkies lose, if they ever had any. Richards saw that his friends would overdose, particularly on heroin, when they tried to get higher. Richards saw you need to find the exact dose of heroin that gets you high and STICK TO THAT DOSE. He knew that you needed quality suppliers where you could expect consistent purity. When he did cocaine, he would only do clinical Merck cocaine. That’s why Keith lived and many didn’t. He’s been clean and sober for decades now.
That is fascinating. I may have to pick up the Richards’ book.
My own little pet observation is that so many assume those on the other side of the law are lazy shirkers. The truth is that many work as hard as any entrepreneur business man. The tragedy is that we can’t get them moving in a more appropriate productive direction.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any answers, except to try to get to people while they are very young and give them plenty of outlets for their creative energy.
” Drug dealers often give out free samples near or at schools to gain new customers.”
Well that part is true. But the drug makes a lot of difference. If you think olives are an acquired taste then try heroin – actually don’t try it.
It seems to me that if a group of people are just handed heroin with out careful instruction, most will make themselves sick with little chance they want to repeat. That might even be an effective, if dangerous, drug prevention strategy.
bfm – it was a joke bfm. 🙂 But businesses do hand out samples for people to try and drug dealers are business people at heart. 🙂
My family never gets tired of Italian food. I don’t think I would ever tire of Chinese food, but maybe I’m wrong. There’s just so much variety in the 2 cuisines.
Paul, I did not know that. I didn’t think conservative males married anyone but white females!!!
BFM, Thanks for the lesson. I need no excuse to eat Chinese. Not much good Chinese in Wisconsin. But, I always try to get to Chinatown when in Chicago.
Nick – my wife and her family are Chinese, the hard thing is keeping them away from Chinese food. We have many great Chinese places here, sadly.
Once again it is double 10 day – 101014 – so whether your hero is Sun Yat-sen or Mao, whether you’re ChiCom or nationalist Chinese I hope you are having a wonderful holiday and planning on enjoying Chinese for dinner tonight – and taking the day off form work is not a bad idea either.
Happy holiday.
I think the teacher just stopped a sophisticated drug distribution ring. Those children were supposed to take the goods home for their parents. 😉
Olly – you may be on to something. Drug dealers often give out free samples near or at schools to gain new customers.
On a practical note, heroin tastes very bitter so it’s unlikely the kids would have eaten much. And, eating it makes it metabolized much less quickly than snorting, smoking, or snorting. I’m NOT SAYING this was not a possible crisis averted, just giving a little perspective.
Kudos to the teacher who noticed and took action.
There goes her chances for winning Mother of the Year.
At least mom was motherly and responsible enough to teach her daughter to share. Daughter saw mom share the goodies with all who came to the door, so why not bring the goodies to school to share with classmates. A nice story, if it wasn’t heroin.
What is most bothersome is the fact that mom was clueless enough to leave those bags of heroin in a place where her kids had easy access to the potentially lethal contents.
Just another of the many reasons to legalize drugs…..Mom will go to the slammer and the kids will likely follow in time after they bounce around foster homes and juvi…..
Lloyd – she evidently brought enough for the whole class. Sharing is caring.
What is happening to this world when you cannot leave your drugs laying around.
bfm – I have no problems with the 249 bags being for personal use if she is a regular shopper at Costco. You get into the habit of buying in bulk. 🙂 It is not like it goes bad, like cabbage.
Well, that’s one way to slow down the chaos and keep the noise level manageable.
Any word if the 249 bags are for personal use?