IONIA, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan judge says an encounter with methamphetamine inside the courthouse where he works serves as a warning about the extent of the drug epidemic.

The Daily News of Greenville reports Ionia County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge Robert Sykes Jr. recounted his experience this month while giving an update on court matters to Ionia County commissioners.

Sykes says he was presiding over a child removal trial in which the mother was alleged to be a meth addict. He says she the woman went into a courthouse bathroom and apparently left a small bag containing methamphetamine inside.

Someone brought it out and Sykes said it was the first time he’d seen meth in person. He says in many cases he handles the “parents, the partner, sometimes even the children are using it.”