Should Pregnant Drug Abusers Be Charged With Child Abuse

Drugs abuse is a social issue that affects a considerable portion of the population within the United States. Drug issues, in general, is broad and complex given there are many different kinds of drugs with abuse potential and the people who use drugs can come from different social backgrounds. While pregnancy can be an exciting time period in a mother s life, it can also be a highly stressful time as well. New moms will have finances, their work schedule, and general health to consider. Now imagine you just found out you are pregnant, but you have been addicted to illicit drugs for months or even years. The discovery of your pregnancy could leave you in a state of panic. Certain addictions more difficult to overcome from than others. There are times that simply stopping drugs with no help is not at all possible. We known drugs can have short-term and long-term effects on the fetus/baby. The question becomes: Should pregnant drug abusers be charged with child abuse? In July 2014, new s surfaced that a Tennessee woman was the first to be charged in the state after a change in law made it a criminal offense to use drugs while pregnant. The woman, named Mallory Loyola, was charged with assault due to her addiction to meth (Mohney, 2014). Drug abuse, specifically while pregnant, has been around for countless decades. The problem is coming back into light recently, but decades ago in the mid 1980 s there was a major uproar. The term crack babies became commonShow MoreRelatedPregnant Womens Temporary Satisfaction and Long Term Consequences1500 Words   |  6 PagesA growing issue that continues to go on today is the drug and alcohol abuse by pregnant women. This has become a growing issue due to the fact that pregnancy is starting at a much younger age. Women tend to become pregnant around the age of 15 to 44 (â€Å"Birth Data†). 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