Should pregnant women be charged with child abuse if they use drugs or alcohol?
ANGEL
2012/06/01 11:43:43
While I understand the argument that drug and alcohol abuse is a disease - when does a woman start being accountable for her behavior nevertheless - when such behavior may kill and if not that - may adversely affect the child's life forever?
http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/reproductive/980...
According to this article "Recent activities in a number
of states have renewed the debate on whether women who abuse drugs or alcohol
during their pregnancies should be subject to criminal sanctions. In South
Carolina, the state supreme court ruled that Cornelia Whitner could be
held criminally liable for using cocaine and thereby endangering her fetus.
The court indicated that its holding applied to legal as well as illegal
substances. In Wisconsin, criminal charges were brought against Deborah
Zimmerman for her abuse of a legal substance (i.e., alcohol) during
her pregnancy. Ms. Zimmerman is facing charges of attempted first degree
intentional homicide and first degree reckless conduct. Prosecutors also
have tried, without success, to bring criminal actions against substance-abusing
pregnant women in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Nevada, New York, and Ohio...
Opponents argue that this can get out of hand - raising the question whether pregnanc women should be prosecuted for other harmful conduct such as smoking, inadequate diet, not getting pre-natal care, etc. They suggest alternatives to criminal charges such as education and treatment.
Do you think that a woman should be charged with child abuse if she uses drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy?
NOTE: Too many polls on SH are resurrected to divide the community based on religious or sexual affiliation, for example. I don't see the point in bashing people because of such associations. I have many friends who believe differently than I do, and friends who are bi-sexual, homosexual, etc., but they are good friends and good people, and some have truely enriched my life. Whether you are an atheist, agnostic, involved in Christianity, Scientology, a Pagan, a Jew, a Muslim - please feel free to comment on my polls and thank you for your friendship.
http://www.law.uh.edu/healthlaw/perspectives/reproductive/980...
According to this article "Recent activities in a number
of states have renewed the debate on whether women who abuse drugs or alcohol
during their pregnancies should be subject to criminal sanctions. In South
Carolina, the state supreme court ruled that Cornelia Whitner could be
held criminally liable for using cocaine and thereby endangering her fetus.
The court indicated that its holding applied to legal as well as illegal
substances. In Wisconsin, criminal charges were brought against Deborah
Zimmerman for her abuse of a legal substance (i.e., alcohol) during
her pregnancy. Ms. Zimmerman is facing charges of attempted first degree
intentional homicide and first degree reckless conduct. Prosecutors also
have tried, without success, to bring criminal actions against substance-abusing
pregnant women in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Nevada, New York, and Ohio...
Opponents argue that this can get out of hand - raising the question whether pregnanc women should be prosecuted for other harmful conduct such as smoking, inadequate diet, not getting pre-natal care, etc. They suggest alternatives to criminal charges such as education and treatment.
Do you think that a woman should be charged with child abuse if she uses drugs or alcohol during her pregnancy?
NOTE: Too many polls on SH are resurrected to divide the community based on religious or sexual affiliation, for example. I don't see the point in bashing people because of such associations. I have many friends who believe differently than I do, and friends who are bi-sexual, homosexual, etc., but they are good friends and good people, and some have truely enriched my life. Whether you are an atheist, agnostic, involved in Christianity, Scientology, a Pagan, a Jew, a Muslim - please feel free to comment on my polls and thank you for your friendship.
But because of the issue of legalized abortions...it becomes something of a double standard.
But then again... if they are caught drinking and doping...they should be at the very least ...sterilized from future pregnancies.
I feel that the drug of choice, it's severity and length of use should be brought into consideration. Nicotine vs cocaine, smoking until she finds out she's pregnant vs smoking the entire pregnancy.
As a society, we need to bring back personal responsibility.
I have a very close friend that was born addicted to nicotine. YEP his mother smoked from long before he was born until the day she died. He started smoking at 6 years old because it was the only thing that would calm his nerves. Finally about 4 years ago he took the plunge to quit completely. It took two years of absolute agony but he did it. He went on a body cleansing program that extracted all the nicotine from his system.
He has now been clean for over 2 years and is in better health than in years. Just one problem, he put on 20 pounds and is now trying to take that off. It is not very easy but he now jogs every morning and works out in the gym as well.
If they use drugs and alcohol, no.
Doctors recommend to those that are addicted to those substances that they continue in very small doses (like a pack a day smoker cutting back to 5 cigarettes a day for the first trimester before quitting) as the stress of quitting cold turkey actually causes more of a problem for the baby then the substances do.
think bout this,... they kill the unborn child , why not drug and alcohol them first ?
jack up the child with crack, smack, vodka , big deal, they are looking to kill the baby anyhow
not sure which one . or if both , but I am sure the liberal baby killer will respond to my post
You wouldn't give alcohol to a new born baby, yet I see a lot of women who don't think it matters if they drink while pregnant..
They endanger their childs life for a temporary high.
LOL