Posted on 07/31/2011 7:42:31 PM PDT by TheDingoAteMyBaby
The number of babies treated at Florida hospitals for drug-withdrawal syndrome continued to skyrocket last year, further evidence of the far-reaching impact of the state's prescription-drug epidemic.
In 2010, 1,374 babies were born addicted to drugs because their mothers were users — a 42 percent increase from the year prior, according to new Agency for Health Care Administration records obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
"The numbers are staggering," said Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. "And especially when you have the opportunity to see one of these babies and know what the baby goes through, all they suffer."
"It's unreal," she said.
Alarming trend continues
Though the data don't show which drugs the newborns tested positive for, doctors in Central Florida have said most of the local cases are prescription drugs.
The babies — whose withdrawal symptoms can include sweating, stiff muscles, irritability and diarrhea — can spend days, even weeks detoxing.
It's an alarming trend that has showed no sign of stopping.
Statewide, 354 newborns were treated for drug-withdrawal syndrome in 2006 — an increase of nearly 290 percent during the past five years.
In Orange County, 104 babies were treated for drug-withdrawal syndrome in 2010 — the third-most in the state. In 2006, just 36 such babies were born in the county.
'Why we keep going'
"I think it's devastating," said Janet Colbert, who works in the neonatal-intensive-care unit at a South Florida hospital and is a founding member of STOPP Now (Stop the Organized Pill Pushers). "This is why we keep going, and we're not going to stop until these pain clinics are closed."
At issue in many instances are women who use prescription drugs such as the painkiller oxycodone who cannot simply quit taking the medications when they learn they are pregnant.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
When babies are born addicted, mothers should go directly to jail and that doesn’t always happen, if ever.
It seems to me that America is hell-bent on raising-up an ever-growing, dependent, unproductive and permanent underclass.
That is because we don’t punish druggies harshly enough; obviously we should start actually being a tad more brutal, much like the Chinese and the East Asian countries.
Generation RX
FYI
As long as the "ethical" pharmaceutical companies are making the money, why is anyone complaining?
The purpose of the drug laws is to grant a monopoly to the "ethical" pharmaceutical industry.
I think we are too.
Florida has “pain clinics” is the problem:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/os-prescription-drugs-how-we-got-here20110612,0,5687975.story
THEY are the ones raking in the big $$$.
My thoughts exactly. This is child abuse in the extreme.
And to make things even worse, we still don’t know what the long term effects of neo-natal addiction really are.
Attention Deficit Disorder?
Increased likelihood of a psychotic break at age 20??
Decreased ability to learn and function socially??
Not to mention the likelihood of addiction problems for the child for life??
And it all depends on what the mother was actually using and how much. What if Mommy was smoking “methamphetamine” along with using oxycodone?? Home-cooked meth can have any number of things in it and there is no “safe” exposure limit for any of it.
Who can possibly say what the real effects on an unborn child really are?? This is terrible stuff and it is eating society alive.
It’s not the pharmaceutical industry. It’s the unethical doctors who run “pill mills” and drug seekers who will go to multiple doctors and pharmacies.
“Pain” is so subjective.
One member of our extended family, formerly from FL, is in treatment for Oxy and is pregnant..again. Fl is a cesspool when it comes to prescription drug abuse. She got her pills from a doctor who took cash only patients in the early morning hours and handed out prescriptions like lollipops.
$100 appointment and you got it. The DA’s just would not take them down even with us complaining and naming names.
The first people to be arrested should be the DA’s and the Police who allow these people to continue their drug trade.
The Democrats can have as big of an underclass as they can force you to pay for.
There. Better.
Our new AG is on it and there is now “pill mill” legislation in place.
I hope it helps, it’s ridiculous.
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