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Tennessee Enacts Law Criminalizing Drug Use in Pregnancy

HeadlineApr 30, 2014

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill allowing mothers to face potential jail time if they use drugs during pregnancy. The measure says women can be criminally charged if their babies are born dependent on drugs. The bill sparked a national outcry from medical experts and reproductive health advocates who say it could discourage women from seeking help for addiction. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union said: “The Tennessee governor has made it a crime to carry a pregnancy to term if you struggle with addiction or substance abuse.”

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