Punitive Policies Harm Pregnant Drug Users and Newborns

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Everybody Hurts –

November 13, 2019 – On November 13, RAND Corporation a nonprofit think tank, published research that linked punitive policies targeting pregnant drug users, with newborns experiencing opioid withdrawal. Lead study author Dr. Laura J. Faherty, a RAND physician policy researcher, told Filter that punitive policies simply “aren’t beneficial” to pregnant women. In the study, she wrote that states that introduce them are likely “missing key opportunities for interventions,” such as family planning services, mental health care, and services related to managing opioid use, due to “disengage[ment] from the health care system.” “When we approach pregnant women with compassion instead of judgment, and address treatment barriers at the individual and systems level, we can help ensure that they are as healthy as possible and their infants have the chance to thrive.”