Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

op — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:46:09 GMT

It is not child abuse, there is no child yet. Also, there is obviously a DV issue here, we do not know why she was drinking (maybe she has an addiction, maybe she was forced to by her abusive husband). Don't be judgmental over a cursory few paragraphs in a complicated situation.

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

bluestar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:44:23 GMT

N-O. I agree completely with Cassie. You cannot go blurring this line, it will end in absolute disaster. SHOULD women binge drink while pregnant? Absolutely not under any circumstances, and we should put as many outreach programs in place as possible to stop that, but criminalizing it? That is one hell of a slippery slope towards tossing moms to be in jail for all KINDS of things. No No No.

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Combermere — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:41:53 GMT

That would be a tough law to regulate... I don't think most pregnant women who are binge drinking are doing it in public.

A law like this sounds ripe to be abused. And if you go there, then you'll have to start arresting expecting moms who eat too much sugar... drink too much Starbuck's... don't take their folic acid... or ride unicycles...

More laws aren't the answer.

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

esther — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:48:29 GMT

When a woman decides to carry a pregnancy to term, she is acknowledging that the fetus she is carrying will someday be a full-fledged child. "Person" or not, a fetus is susceptible to permanent, irreversible, life-long harm if the mother consumes alcohol while pregnant.

One does not have to believe that a fetus is a child to be in favor of regulating a woman's right to drink while pregnant, just that the fetus will one day be a child.

I live in Alaska, which has the highest incidence of FAS in the US, and it is heartbreaking to see innocent children who suffer everyday because of their mother's actions.

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Sara — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:13:55 GMT

Oh this is such a touchy subject, and I agree with Cassie's comment to an extent, but!

If you are nine months pregnant, obviously YOU think that there is a person inside of you. And it is an accepted fact that getting completely, eight-hours-of-drinking drunk is very bad for a baby. You cannot say "oh there is a person inside of me" one minute and then go and knowingly endanger that person's life the next. Am I making sense?

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Cassie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:29:21 GMT

Not born yet, not a child. You make the fetus have rights and suddenly the vessal has none.

re: Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Manjari — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:20:37 GMT

I guess it is a little complicated when you think of women who just have a glass of wine now and then, but eight hours of binge drinking seems like a clear cut case of child endangerment. Maybe it could be handled somewhat like drinking and driving - the court could come up with a certain blood alcohol level that would be considered illegal for pregnant women.