By Jon Swaine
Joanne was addicted to Crystal Meth when she got pregnant. She tried to give it up, but failed, and gave birth to twins who tested positive for the drug. The babies are now much more likely to develop learning difficulties, intestinal problems and skeletal defects. They were taken away by social services.
Joanne was put in touch with Project Prevention. In a brutal transaction, the group offers drug-addicted men and women hundreds of pounds in cash in return for being sterilised. The charity, founded 13 years ago by Barbara Harris, a mother of 10 from North Carolina, has since paid about 3,500 people to surrender their fertility permanently or for the long term.
Joanne was put in touch with Project Prevention. In a brutal transaction, the group offers drug-addicted men and women hundreds of pounds in cash in return for being sterilised. The charity, founded 13 years ago by Barbara Harris, a mother of 10 from North Carolina, has since paid about 3,500 people to surrender their fertility permanently or for the long term.
Mrs Harris and her husband, Smitty, started the group after fostering four children from a crack-addicted mother in Los Angeles. They claim that the last 20 women who chose to be sterilised under their scheme had been pregnant 121 times between them, and had 78 children in foster care. Their system raises fundamental questions about people’s right to have children.
Mrs Harris has said: “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.”
Mrs Harris has said: “We don’t allow dogs to breed. We spay them. We neuter them. We try to keep them from having unwanted puppies, and yet these women are literally having litters of children.”
Her group is now offering its services in Britain, where each year more than 1,200 babies are born addicted to drugs.
A 38-year-old heroin addict, identified only as John, has become the group’s first British customer, receiving £200. John explains his decision simply and powerfully. “I won’t be able to support a kid - I can just about manage to support myself,” he said. “I should never be a father.”
However, Martin Barnes, the chief executive of DrugScope, describes their scheme as “exploitative, ethically dubious and morally questionable.”
'’Who would be targeted next,” asked Mr Barnes. “People who smoke, have mental health problems, or live in poverty?”
Yet Mrs Harris is unrepentant. “I’ll do anything I have to do to prevent babies from suffering,” Mrs Harris said. “I’ve been called everything. I’ve been spat on. My heart is with the children. I don’t believe that anybody has the right to force their addiction on another human being.”
i will be honest and say that i didn`t read the hole post because i am a happy and hopeful person so i hate to see news related to that subjects.i am aware that exists that part of the world but i perfer to keep my world positive. i am speaking as a teenager and i agree that the people of my age shouldn`t do drugs or drink or even smoke.people that do that are a bit stupid and don`t realize that that addiction is going to mark their lives.
ReplyDelete...and their babies' lives too.
ReplyDeleteyes that true but they should take care of their self's (teenagers)and they cant do that.babys bring up a hole new question.because if their lives are awful,why bring a baby to that world?
ReplyDeletethat is one of the things that don´t have response and that still wait for a response that will not comfort me because that aren`t reasons to do that!!!!!!!
That's right. I meant that their addiction will mark not only their lives but also that of their children. And we're not just talking about living conditions, because many of the babies would be given away for adoption anyway. We're talking about a lot of health problems these children may get because they are born with their mother's addiction.
ReplyDeleteyes but once again it´s irresponsible the act of caring a baby if they know that it´s wrong, if they know that caring that child will rune nor just their lives but also the lives of theirs children, mentally and physically.
ReplyDeletei agree with Filipe. «why bring a baby to that world?» if he or she is not healthy??? Why addicted on drugs' future mums get pregnat??? Please... firstly, they should not do drugs and secondly, they shouldn't put a baby in the world, without having good conditions, for example: NOT A BEEING A GOOD EXAMPLE AS A HUMAN BEING for the baby, and etc etc etc...
ReplyDeleteShould all unhealthy mums be sterilised, so they can't have babies? What about smoking mums?
ReplyDeletesmoking is another aspect that besides being descusting,almost half os the planet do it (i am exaggerating). it´s for shore that the smoking mums should stop, and the reasonable one do it when they are pregnant.
ReplyDeleteof course that the moms that do heavy drugs must not have babies.bring a baby into a world like that,full of violence and where the baby will not be loved, is insane and only stupid and doom people do that!!
once again i agree totally with Mariana
Maybe drug-addicted mums have the ability to love their children (some of them, at least).
ReplyDeletewhen they are on the effects of drugs they will love what if it´s all unicorns or what else they fell when they do drugs!!
ReplyDeletemums have the ability of loving their children,of course,but that world is not the right place for a baby!!