From Harford County government:
A newborn baby shouldn’t have to suffer the pain of substance abuse withdrawal, but nearly 100 Harford County newborns did just that in 2013, representing an alarming 45% increase from 2012. The Harford County Department of Community Services Office of Drug Control Policy, in partnership with Upper Chesapeake Health and the Harford County Health Department, are hosting a panel discussion to raise awareness about the dangerous, long term impacts of drug abuse during pregnancy. The event will take place at Harford Community College’s Chesapeake Theater on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
“Acknowledging the seriousness of the substance abuse problem in Harford County is one step in the right direction,” said County Executive Barry Glassman. “We must also work to reduce drug abuse and the number of innocent newborns who are suffering from substance abuse withdrawal at their very first breath.”
Panel guests will include Dr. Marie McAleese, American Board of Pediatrics certified pediatrician at Upper Chesapeake Health; Mary Beth Collins, program and operations director at the National Association for Children of Alcoholics; and a mother who adopted a drug exposed baby, and the baby’s birth mother.
Registration is required by May 11, 2015. Please contact the Office of Drug Control Policy at 410-638-3333 or odcp@harfordcountymd.gov. Light refreshments will be served.
Right, and in less than 10 Years half the student population will be on drugs
What else is new? You can’t stop it.
Oh No, say it ain’t so, not in Harford County. All the uppity wannabes wont stand for this.
That’s a sickening statistic. The bad part is if the vermin don’t care about their kids before they’re born the really wont give a crap about them after they’re born. Just more critters for us taxpayers to take care of.
It is sickening. And in just a few years, these unfortunate children will be in school, and it will be the “teachers fault” that they can’t learn. A horrible condition is never improved by a misdiagnosis.
Having just 1 addicted baby born is tragic. However, going from about 65 of these babies to less than 100 in a year does not seem to be outrageous. Was there an increase in total babies that were born in Harford County that makes the overall percentage of these addicted births smaller? Is drug use up? Is drug treatment down? What drugs were these babies addicted too? Lots of unanswered questions after reading the article. Typical for the dagger.
I guess I should have said, “typical for the county government”, however, it is also typical of the dagger.
if they would take their baby’s away due to the drug abuse you would have a whole lot less baby’s born addicted. Make moms and dads get clean before handing the babys back to them.
Just saying