Effects of Substance Use Disorder Criminalization on American Indian Pregnant Individuals

Bibliographic Data

ID15744270
AuthorsRachel Simon (Massachusetts General Hospital, corresponding author), Jennifer Giroux (Indian Health Service), Julie Chor (0000-0001-8668-0454, University of Chicago Medical Center)
Year2020
Volume22
Issue10
PagesE862-867
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe AMA Journal of Ethic (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2376-6980 • E-ISSN: 2376-6980
PublisherAmerican Medical Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1001/amajethics.2020.862
PMID33103648
OpenAlexW3090646343
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited4

Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) are at markedly elevated risk of involvement in the criminal legal system. Over the past 30 years, substance use during pregnancy has been criminalized through laws on the federal, state, and tribal level. American Indian (AI) individuals are disproportionately affected by these laws due to their race, socioeconomic status, and limited access to SUD treatment. This article aims to educate readers on laws criminalizing substance use during pregnancy and on how AI individuals are disproportionately affected by these laws. It also discusses how these laws conflict with the ethical principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, and justice. Finally, this article recommends that clinicians advocate for the decriminalization of SUDs during pregnancy and for improvement in access to comprehensive, evidence-based SUDs care

Criminalization · Criminology · Psychiatry · Substance abuse · Substance use · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment · Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects · Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes