PIF: Should chidren be taken away, because of substance abuse during pregnancy?

by Melissa
(Greenville SC)

Some people may believe that a mothers right to her child should be taken away once it is found that she is taken substances during her pregnancy. They may also feel that it is our duty create laws against mothers who uses drug during pregnancy.

I believe that the laws passed on women and drug abuse during pregnancy may interfere with women’s rights to choose. I believe that certain groups are target for these test given .I don’t feel that removing children from drug-using mothers necessarily protect them or improve their health?

The threat of criminal punishment fosters a climate of fear, imperiling the health both of women and their future children. Nevertheless, to understand the solution it is necessary to examine these cases deeper and only then we decide whether the Court’s decisions is really twofold, ambiguous or completely justified.

These laws may have gone too far and compromise the civil right of expantant mothers. What a women does with her body during her pregnancy is her own choice; what our opinion is should not be imposed on her. Many people feel it is our civil duty to help the unborn. I feel once the child is born then we can determine if the mother is guilty of such crime that requires her to be penalized under the judicial system.

In the 1980’s the term “crack baby” was introduced through the media, showing disturbing pictures of babies who’s mothers who were addicted to substances during pregnancy. The media showed many of the women’s faces on television; targeting minorities.

Mrs. Lynn Paltrow is representing ten African-American women in South Carolina; all the women who are being represented was singled out due to there race. The law in South Carolina is after twenty eight weeks a fetus is considered to be a person, and if women continue to use drug they are arrested for distributing an illegal drug to a minor.

Is this how we are to control the action of others, or is this simple the media trying to get the story? Do we really feel as human being that this is the way to get these mothers off drug and productive in society?

As for the children left in these circumstance they are the ones that are really suffering. Is adequate drug treatment available to pregnant women and mothers? On one hand some may believe that we should lock them up and throw away the key.

I feel that these mothers need to rehabilitated. Pregnant women and women with children have specialized drug treatment needs, such as prenatal care, child care and medical care for infants and children.

In addition, studies indicate that many women drug-users have experienced sexual and physical abuse. We need comprehensive treatment programs that address these therapeutic, educational and logistical needs .It is not natural to separate mothers from their children. I has been proven that treatment program help women and their families get through the difficulties of drugs.

The question is are we threaten or treating the mothers under this circumstance? I feel these women are being threaten and with addiction problem. Many of them will not go for help, but try to hide or run from the system. If we open more doors for these women I feel that we could subside the number that are seeing today.

In conclusion we as people know that if this continues that they could be a new generation of people that will have the basic outcome of the parent that bore them. Are we willing to work with the families in this situation to create a new future for themselves, or to push them into a spiral downslide to self destruction? Mother’s addicted to drug need help, not their children ripped from their families.