Should using drugs while pregnant be a criminal offense? It now is in Tennessee. On this week’s show we discuss the effects of using drugs while pregnant. We talk about the effect on the mother, fetus, and the newborn. The new law in Tennessee “allows women to be criminally charged with an assaultive offense for the illegal use of a narcotic drug while pregnant, if her child is born addicted to or harmed by the narcotic drug or for criminal homicide if her child dies as a result of her illegal use of a narcotic drug taken while pregnant.” What will this mean to women who are on a maintenance program to get off illegal narcotics?

Dr. Andrew Kolodny, president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP), gives us some insight into this topic this week. Also, Denise asks about a new opioid recently released by Perdue Pharmaceutical, the producers of the original OxyContin pills introduced in 1996. The new drug is called Targiniq ER. Listen carefully about the details, possibilities, and probabilities about this new drug. For people who are frustrated about the huge increase in overdose deaths in the past years please check out information about the Fed Up Rally and how you can voice your concerns.

Also, please be sure to click on this link: Gofundme.com/7o9hio to support this show so we can continue to offer weekly information, resources, possibilities, and hope to those who love addicts and alcoholics.