on the psychoactive effect of the THC.” (p. 6) If a newborn is born addicted to any sort of substance, whether it be marijuana, cocaine, LSD, and etc., they can also suffer from the same side effects as adults. If adults can suffer from dependency on the psychoactive effect in the THC in marijuana so can a newborn child. Another argument in favor of this policy is the argument from Mary Haag (2016), Registered Nurse and the President of Prevention First, which is an organization that helps better people every day through their own research programs. Her argument is that substances can cause the brain to not develop properly, stating, brain is “[t]he not fully developed until we are about 25. That’s just the way it is and using any kind of substances impacts that development” (para 4). If a brain is not fully developed by the age of 25, using substances, or drinking alcohol is likely to cause the development to either respite or cease all together. In addition to the previous arguments, the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) states, fetal rights advocates have convinced police, “[y]et prosecutors, and judges to treat addiction as a form of abuse or neglect without regard for parenting ability” (para 12). There are programs in place to help pregnant mothers who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. A woman has to want to quit for the fetus in order to be able to quit. All of these arguments tie in to the advocacy for the policy where it is illegal for pregnant women to use alcohol or substances while 20 weeks pregnant until the delivery of the newborn. Arguments Against Although are many different stances of how women should care for their bodies during a pregnancy, no specific guidelines have been set. Over the years, the American system, non-profit organizations, and other groups have debated over what rights a woman has over her own body during a pregnancy. The rights of the woman’s body and those of her fetus should be left up to the mother until the child is born, and there are various Supreme Court Cases
on the psychoactive effect of the THC.” (p. 6) If a newborn is born addicted to any sort of substance, whether it be marijuana, cocaine, LSD, and etc., they can also suffer from the same side effects as adults. If adults can suffer from dependency on the psychoactive effect in the THC in marijuana so can a newborn child. Another argument in favor of this policy is the argument from Mary Haag (2016), Registered Nurse and the President of Prevention First, which is an organization that helps better people every day through their own research programs. Her argument is that substances can cause the brain to not develop properly, stating, “[t]he brain is not fully developed until we are about 25. That’s just the way it is and using any kind of substances impacts that development” (para 4). If a brain is not fully developed by the age of 25, using substances, or drinking alcohol is likely to cause the development to either respite or cease all together. In addition to the previous arguments, the National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW) states, “[y]et fetal rights advocates have convinced police, prosecutors, and judges to treat addiction as a form of abuse or neglect without regard for parenting ability” (para 12). There are programs in place to help pregnant mothers who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. A woman has to want to quit for the fetus in order to be able to quit. All of these arguments tie in to the advocacy for the policy where it is illegal for pregnant women to use alcohol or substances while 20 weeks pregnant until the delivery of the newborn. Arguments Against Although are many different stances of how women should care for their bodies during a pregnancy, no specific guidelines have been set. Over the years, the American system, non-profit organizations, and other groups have debated over what rights a woman has over her own body during a pregnancy. The rights of the woman’s body and those of her fetus should be left up to the mother until the child is born, and there are various Supreme Court Cases
title_iv_e_policy_paper.docx