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Punishing parents: Child removal in the context of drug use
Author(s) -
Olsen Anna
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1111/dar.12219
Subject(s) - legislation , disadvantaged , context (archaeology) , drug , stigma (botany) , criminology , psychiatry , psychology , medicine , political science , environmental health , law , geography , archaeology
New amendments to child welfare policy in N ew S outh W ales turn a spotlight on parents who use drugs and raise concerns about adequate provision of services for families facing issues with alcohol and other drug use. Sections of the new legislation are explicitly focused on parents who use illicit drugs, expanding the reach of child protection services over expectant parents during pregnancy. This targeting of women who are ‘addicted’ highlights the ambiguous scientific and moral attention to drug use in pregnancy. It also raises practical questions about the potential for the legislation to increase stigma towards drug use and disproportionately affect vulnerable and disadvantaged families. [Olsen A. Punishing parents: Child removal in the context of drug use. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;34:27–30]