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Papas Fritas writes:

USA Today reports that Tennessee has become the first state with legislation that will criminally charge women who use drugs while pregnant with assault for harm done to their infants. Tennessee officials have wrestled with what to do about the growing numbers of infants born dependent on drugs (921 in Tennessee in 2013) and who often suffer from a condition known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. The legislation would allow mothers to avoid criminal charges if they get into one of the state's few treatment programs. Governor Bill Haslam says he wants doctors to encourage women to get into treatment before delivering their babies so they can avoid charges. "The intent of this bill is to give law enforcement and district attorneys a tool to address illicit drug use among pregnant women through treatment programs," says Haslam.

Seventeen states already consider drug use during pregnancy as child abuse and in three of them Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin it is grounds for civil commitment (e.g. forced enrollment in treatment programs). In 15 states, health-care providers are required to report suspected abuse and, in four of those states, they are then also required to test for drug exposure of the child. Eighteen states have treatment programs targeted at pregnant women. Opponents of the bill, including five national medical organizations and local doctors who treat pregnant women, worry that criminalization will scare women away from treatment. "This law separates mothers from their children and is not patient-centered," says Cherisse A. Scott. "Tennessee families who are already being hit the hardest by policies such as the failure to expand Medicaid, poverty and a lack of available drug treatment facilities will be most deeply impacted by this bill."

1. "Papas Fritas" - http://poncacityweloveyou.com/
2. "criminally charge women who use drugs while pregnant with assault" - http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/04/30/tennessee-criminalize-pregnant-drug-use/8502813/
3. "neonatal abstinence syndrome" - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004566/
4. "intent of this bill" - http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/billinfo/BillSummaryArchive.aspx?BillNumber=SB1391&ga=108
5. "Seventeen states already consider drug use during pregnancy as child abuse" - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/05/01/criminalizing-harmful-substance-abuse-during-pregnancy-is-there-a-problem-with-that/
6. "worry that criminalization will scare women away from treatment" - http://healthyandfreetn.org/news/tennessee_criminalizes_pregnancy_outcomes
7. "failure to expand Medicaid" - http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2014/03/28/tennessee-democrats-call-action-medicaid-expansion/

printed from SoylentNews, Tennessee to Jail Women Who Use Drugs while Pregnant on 2024-04-20 03:42:30