Most parents don't think twice when they go into public bathroom to use a changing station, except to be grateful that it even has one in the first place. Public bathrooms can certainly be germy, but most moms only do a spot-check or lay a blanket down before they do the deed. Well, according to Jessica Wayman, a mom who is also in recovery from drug addiction, there can be far worse things on the average public changing table!
Wayman shared in a post on Facebook that every time a parent goes into a public bathroom to change their baby, they must wipe down the changing table and not because of toilet germs. She claimed that something far more worrying might be lingering on those public changing tables and the thought of it is super scary! As she explained, "Addicts use these as tables while they shoot up."
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The 24-year-old mom shared that if you see black marks on a changing table, it likely isn't dirt.
Indiana-based Jessica urged new parents to always wipe down the changing tables in public restrooms. "Even if you are in a hurry, even if you have a blanket to lay down," she explained. "Before putting your babies anywhere near these things, ALWAYS wipe them down first."
The mom pointed out what might look like scuff marks to the untrained eye. But, as she explained, they might actually be from something completely different.
"See the black marks?" she asked. "Those are from burnt spoons."
The mom, who is a recovering addict herself, explained that "addicts use these as tables while they shoot up." That's why she's urging parents to always clean them off before ever putting their baby at risk.
"There could be residue from heroin/meth whatever, and other harmful bodily fluids," she wrote. "If someone doesn’t care about themselves, I can promise you, they aren’t thinking about your kids."
Even parents who think they are being safe by using a blanket need to re-evaluate their diaper-changing habits, Jessica argued.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Jessica explained that "all it would take is flakes getting stuck to a blanket and the baby later putting the blanket in their mouth" for disaster to happen. "Especially with all the Fentanyl out there right now, it takes a tiny amount to kill a full grown adult, it would take even less to kill a tiny baby."
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Although Jessica's post has gained a lot of attention online, not everyone agrees with her message.
The mom faced some serious backlash online, with some people accusing her of stating false facts to drum up fear in other parents. But Jessica pushed back against the claims, citing the fact that her history of drug use and knowledge about addiction makes her all-too keenly aware of the risks.
"This is in reference to changing stations in single person bathrooms & in handicapped stalls, yes this is VERY REAL," she wrote. "Along with people using them as tables while they shoot up, they are also OFTEN used by addicts to bust drugs out and crush them up upon."
And as she explained to the Daily Mail, she decided to share her knowledge because the "only people [who] would know about this are addicts or recovering addicts, and I should do my part to warn other parents of the danger," she said.
Jessica's final message to parents who are worried about changing their kids in public spaces is to "be cautious."
