Should drinking alcohol during pregnancy be a crime?

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Should the stupid mother be punished for drinking and/or smoking during pregnancy
Yes 32%  32%  [ 8 ]
She has the right to screw up her children, so No 8%  8%  [ 2 ]
I don't care 8%  8%  [ 2 ]
The poll is obviously biased 44%  44%  [ 11 ]
None of the above 8%  8%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 25

Esteban
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09 Jul 2011, 1:53 am

If a pregnant woman drinks heavily, knowing she's pregnant and intends to have the baby, morally that is grievous bodily harm. though any laws against it would probably be unenforceable. The availability of contraception and abortion is irrelevant - the woman can always choose to stop drinking. Unless the state is forcing her to drink, it is not responsible for FAS, the mother is. But I'm not aware of any government in the world shoving a funnel into pregnant women's mouths and pouring vodka down.
That men wear condoms is neither here nor there - unless she's raped, the woman can make condom use a condition of sex. If she's raped, it results in pregnancy and abortion is unavailable to her, she can always stop drinking. Abortion costs money? So does alcohol...



LKL
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09 Jul 2011, 3:00 am

addiction is a medical issue, not a moral one.



ruveyn
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09 Jul 2011, 9:04 am

Esteban wrote:
If a pregnant woman drinks heavily, knowing she's pregnant and intends to have the baby, morally that is grievous bodily harm. though any laws against it would probably be unenforceable.


The fetus within is not a person, so it is not grievous bodily harm to a person.

ruveyn



Esteban
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09 Jul 2011, 11:33 am

ruveyn wrote:
Esteban wrote:
If a pregnant woman drinks heavily, knowing she's pregnant and intends to have the baby, morally that is grievous bodily harm. though any laws against it would probably be unenforceable.


The fetus within is not a person, so it is not grievous bodily harm to a person.

ruveyn


If she carries it to term - that is, unless there is a miscarriage or an abortion - it does result in grievous bodily harm to a person eventually.



ruveyn
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09 Jul 2011, 12:02 pm

Esteban wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
Esteban wrote:
If a pregnant woman drinks heavily, knowing she's pregnant and intends to have the baby, morally that is grievous bodily harm. though any laws against it would probably be unenforceable.


The fetus within is not a person, so it is not grievous bodily harm to a person.

ruveyn


If she carries it to term - that is, unless there is a miscarriage or an abortion - it does result in grievous bodily harm to a person eventually.


Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. Since the live birth of an infant cannot be assure any damages done to the fetus cannot be said to be eventual damages to a person until it is determined that the child born has been injured by the alcohol consumed. A woman cannot be punished for a wrong until a wrong is established. Actually that is true for anybody.

ruveyn



Esteban
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09 Jul 2011, 4:21 pm

ruveyn wrote:
Esteban wrote:
ruveyn wrote:
Esteban wrote:
If a pregnant woman drinks heavily, knowing she's pregnant and intends to have the baby, morally that is grievous bodily harm. though any laws against it would probably be unenforceable.


The fetus within is not a person, so it is not grievous bodily harm to a person.

ruveyn


If she carries it to term - that is, unless there is a miscarriage or an abortion - it does result in grievous bodily harm to a person eventually.


Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. Since the live birth of an infant cannot be assure any damages done to the fetus cannot be said to be eventual damages to a person until it is determined that the child born has been injured by the alcohol consumed. A woman cannot be punished for a wrong until a wrong is established. Actually that is true for anybody.


Fair enough.