As someone who has witnessed the devastating effects of drug abuse in newborns through fostering and adopting family members' children, I understand the long-term impacts of such atrocities. The plight of these innocent lives has led me to appeal for a change in legislation. We request that pregnant women who are found abusing drugs be legally accountable for the potential harm to their unborn children.

Drug use during pregnancy is a concerning problem worldwide. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that the use of illicit substances among expectant mothers in the United States has been increasingly rampant, affecting an estimated 5.4% of pregnant women. This situation results in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a group of conditions caused by withdrawal from the drugs the baby was exposed to in the womb. In 2012 alone, every 25 minutes, a baby was born suffering from opiate withdrawal.

This proposed legislation serves not to punish, but rather protects unborn children and gives them a chance at a healthy start in life. Let's strive for a world where every child is born free from the shackles of drug dependency. Please sign this petition to pressure our legislators to enact laws penalizing drug abuse during pregnancy. Let's make a difference by demanding that our unborn children be offered a fair chance at life.