Parental Substance Use as Child Maltreatment - Wyoming

Substance-Exposed Newborns

This issue is not addressed in the statutes reviewed.

Children Exposed to Parental Substance Use
Citation: Ann. Stat. §§ 6-4-403(b); 6-4-405; Prot. & Juv. Serv. Man.  

No person shall knowingly sell, give, or otherwise furnish a child with any drug prohibited by law without a physician's prescription.

A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for no more than 1 year, a fine of no more than $1,000, or both. A person convicted of a second violation of this section is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than 5 years, a fine of no more than $5,000, or both.

No person shall knowingly and willfully cause or permit any child to do the following: 

• Absorb, inhale, or otherwise ingest any amount of methamphetamine
• Remain in a room, dwelling, or vehicle where the person knows methamphetamine is being manufactured or sold
• Enter and remain in a room, dwelling, or vehicle that the person knows is being used to manufacture or store methamphetamine, or the hazardous waste created by the manufacture of methamphetamine

No person having the care or custody of a child shall knowingly and willfully permit the child to remain in a room, dwelling, or vehicle where that person knows that methamphetamine is possessed, stored, or ingested.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of the subsections above is guilty of endangering a child punishable by imprisonment for no more than 5 years, a fine of no more than $5,000, or both.

In policy: The term 'drug-endangered child' refers to children who are at risk of suffering physical or emotional harm as a result of illegal drug use, possession, manufacturing, cultivation, or distribution. They may also be children whose caregiver's substance misuse interferes with the caregiver's ability to parent and provide a safe and nurturing environment.