Harbor Village Detox Comments on Legislation Effecting Addicted Pregnant Women
USA (PRWEB) February 17, 2015 -- On Jan. 27th WCYB reported that Tennessee has enacted a new policy that ensures pregnant women who give birth to children addicted to drugs will face charges if they do not consent to attend drug rehabilitation. The new law is meant to hold women responsible for the harm done to their newborns, but it also seeks to help women enroll in rehabilitation programs. According to WCYB, out of 115 cases of babies born with addiction only nine mothers have been prosecuted; to avoid prosecution, new mothers can opt to attend detoxification and subsequent drug rehabilitation programs. In 2014, 957 babies in Tennessee were brought into this world addicted to drugs.
According to WCYB, the law will be enacted until 2016, and will undergo assessment by legislation to decide if it is an effective means of reducing the drug population, and babies who are born addicted. District Attorney General Barry Staubus is quoted by WCYB, “We are disproportionately high in the amount of people that are taking pills, and amount of women who are giving birth addicted to narcotics.”
Proponents opposed to the new law are concerned about how it will affect prospective patients that will not seek treatment, or proper doctoral care through pregnancy for fear of being prosecuted. A medical professional at Harbor Village Detox comments, “The intention of the law is good, to help dissuade the numbers of drug addicted infants. But women may start to feel pressured from the law about their addiction, and that may make them flee from it, as opposed to utilizing the resource available to them. It’s a slippery slope with a lot of variables that will only be illuminated with the passing of time.”
When asked about the implications this law can have on a national level, a Harbor Village Detox associate said, "It's unnerving the way the officials are choosing to continue to handle addiction and drug abuse. Locking an addict behind bars will not cure him- or in this case, her- of addiction. It will not help that infant learn how to combat the addiction that it is genetically predispositioned to. Drug addiction is a condition that can only be overcome with proper detoxification and rehabilitation. But beyond this, treatment needs to teach addicts how to effectively handle situations that cause them to abuse drugs. Simply changing the way one thinks can help tremendously- after detoxification and rehabilitation. This isn't an isolated incident, things like this happen all over our country."
Harbor Village Detox is committed to helping communities nationally recover from the effects of addiction. The facility keeps abreast of drug related laws and regulations on a national level to best serve their clients, and adjusts their treatment regimes to optimize the probability of success after treatment when clients return from outpatient rehab programs.
Espousing modern medicine with the venerable practices of eastern holistic healing, Harbor Village Detox offers clients rich outpatient rehab programs, stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. An award winning medical staff cares for clients around the clock to administer medications to reduce the excruciating symptoms of withdrawal.
For more information about Harbor Village Detox visit http://harborvillageflorida.com/ or call 1-855-290-4261.
Julian G, Harbor Village Inc., http://www.harborvillageflorida.com, +1 855-290-4261, [email protected]
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