African American Woman Who Are Addicted
Abstract
Throughout the late 1980 's and still today, "crack moms" and "crack babies" are the subject of vigorous public debate. Much of this public discussion has been governed by speculation and medical misinformation reported as fact in both medical journals and in the popular press and has been extremely judgmental and punitive in many instances. The harshest response has been the call for the arrest and prosecution of women who use cocaine during pregnancy.
In a country that had come to learn that certain drugs, such as thalidomide and DES, can cause serious damage to a child exposed to them prenatally, it is not surprising that people are concerned about the possible effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. But a concern that could have become the basis for rational scientific inquiry as well as compassionate and constructive discussion quickly became a conclusion that all children exposed prenatally to cocaine would be damaged irrevocably and that their mother 's selfish and irresponsible drug-taking behavior is to blame for a national health tragedy.
One key question is why was there such a "rush to judgment" both about the medical effects of cocaine and about the women who used it while pregnant. While there is no one, simple answer, it is clear that the issue of drugs and pregnancy touches on some of the most highly charged and deeply entrenched political issues of our day. It involves America 's long tradition of punishing drug use rather than providing treatment and education. Because the problem of cocaine use in pregnancy was presented as one predominantly as a problem of the African American community it is deeply intertwined with issues of race, race discrimination, and the legacy of slavery: while illicit substance abuse crosses all race and class lines, this particular debate has focused on low-income African-American women, many of whom are rely on welfare. Because it involves women and pregnancy, the issue of drugs and pregnancy is
Throughout the late 1980 's and still today, "crack moms" and "crack babies" are the subject of vigorous public debate. Much of this public discussion has been governed by speculation and medical misinformation reported as fact in both medical journals and in the popular press and has been extremely judgmental and punitive in many instances. The harshest response has been the call for the arrest and prosecution of women who use cocaine during pregnancy.
In a country that had come to learn that certain drugs, such as thalidomide and DES, can cause serious damage to a child exposed to them prenatally, it is not surprising that people are concerned about the possible effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. But a concern that could have become the basis for rational scientific inquiry as well as compassionate and constructive discussion quickly became a conclusion that all children exposed prenatally to cocaine would be damaged irrevocably and that their mother 's selfish and irresponsible drug-taking behavior is to blame for a national health tragedy.
One key question is why was there such a "rush to judgment" both about the medical effects of cocaine and about the women who used it while pregnant. While there is no one, simple answer, it is clear that the issue of drugs and pregnancy touches on some of the most highly charged and deeply entrenched political issues of our day. It involves America 's long tradition of punishing drug use rather than providing treatment and education. Because the problem of cocaine use in pregnancy was presented as one predominantly as a problem of the African American community it is deeply intertwined with issues of race, race discrimination, and the legacy of slavery: while illicit substance abuse crosses all race and class lines, this particular debate has focused on low-income African-American women, many of whom are rely on welfare. Because it involves women and pregnancy, the issue of drugs and pregnancy is
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