New Guidelines Stress Pregnant Women's Right to Order Alcohol in New York City

[nightflight]

Mixing pregnancy and booze is a controversial topic.

Many doctors recommend that women steer clear of alcohol for the entire nine months of pregnancy, but New York City’s Human Rights Commission is now weighing in with a caveat.

New guidelines unveiled last week say that bars cannot refuse to serve pregnant women alcohol, arguing that such treatment is discriminatory.

“Pregnant women should be allowed to enter any place of accommodation in New York City that a non-pregnant woman should be able to enter,” Carmelyn Malalis, commissioner and chairwoman of the city Commission on Human Rights, told ABC News.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/guidel...ens-order-alcohol-york-city/story?id=39032754

 

[GoldenBoy89]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/guidel...ens-order-alcohol-york-city/story?id=39032754

Minors can go into bars now?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Really, I don't see anything wrong with a pregnant woman going into a bar.... She could be the DD for her group for all anyone knows. It's her buying a drink that I would have a problem with.

 

[MehGuy]

Disgusting.

 

[trunks2k]

This:
"New Guidelines Stress Pregnant Women's Right to Order Alcohol in New York City"

is not the same as this:

“Pregnant women should be allowed to enter any place of accommodation in New York City that a non-pregnant woman should be able to enter,” Carmelyn Malalis, commissioner and chairwoman of the city Commission on Human Rights, told ABC News."

ETA: OK I found the actual guidelines, and it does say a bar cannot refuse to serve a pregnant woman alcohol or raw fish.

Frankly, I tend to agree to an extent.... While it's generally frowned upon, a little bit of alcohol is not likely to harm an unborn child. My understanding is that while the occasional drink isn't likely to do any damage, it's just not considered worth the risk for a drink. That's what our OB told us.

I'm not super comfortable with the idea of a restaurant making a decision on what my pregnant wife can and cannot eat. There was recently a story about a barista refused to serve a pregnant woman coffee, but our OB says there's no data to suggest any sort of risk of drinking coffee after the first couple months of pregnancy. In fact, she's pregnant and was drinking a big cup of coffee when we first met with her.

Rules can be found here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/downloads/pdf/publications/Pregnancy_InterpretiveGuide_2016.pdf

 

[revanneosl]

Imagine a society where adult women were assumed to be competent to make their own decisions. Wouldn't that be cool?

 

[Nithavela]

I wonder what all those conservatives that hate big government think about this.

Me? It's their choice, but if they damage the fetus, they should be held responsible.

 

[football5680]

Me? It's their choice, but if they damage the fetus, they should be held responsible.

They have the right to kill the baby without any punishment so why would they be held responsible for this?

 

[Nithavela]

They have the right to kill the baby without any punishment so why would they be held responsible for this?

No one in the USA has the right to kill babies.

 

[HannahT]

I wonder what all those conservatives that hate big government think about this.

Me? It's their choice, but if they damage the fetus, they should be held responsible.

If I were a bartender I would have trouble serving drinks...with an s...to a pregnant woman. It's more of a personal viewpoint, and wondering if I was contributing to a health problem - or medical conditions - due to serving her. In other words, it would be hard to live with.

We all know what happens to babies with mother's who drink to much. Then you have addicted babies that are sad as well. Doctor's do say an occasion glass of wine wouldn't hurt anything, and that is why I added the 's' at the end.

On the other hand, I don't think it is government's job to make laws regarding NOT giving women liquor or not to be begin with. People should be allowed to make their own decisions. I also feel bartenders should follow their conscience as well. Drugs are illegal, and shouldn't be sold period.

Sadly, what happens in the end if the baby is harmed? Normally, the state steps in and chaos comes next. Everyone - in other words taxpayers - are required to pay and possibly take care of this child from then on. If not them at times family members have to put their life's on hold, and Dad has to pick up the pieces after mom was irresponsible.

 

[nightflight]

Imagine a society where adult women were assumed to be competent to make their own decisions. Wouldn't that be cool?

Imagine further people allowing women to make their own decisions without fearing legal retribution. Cool, huh?

 

[bhsmte]

If I were a bartender I would have trouble serving drinks...with an s...to a pregnant woman. It's more of a personal viewpoint, and wondering if I was contributing to a health problem - or medical conditions - due to serving her. In other words, it would be hard to live with.

We all know what happens to babies with mother's who drink to much. Then you have addicted babies that are sad as well. Doctor's do say an occasion glass of wine wouldn't hurt anything, and that is why I added the 's' at the end.

On the other hand, I don't think it is government's job to make laws regarding NOT giving women liquor or not to be begin with. People should be allowed to make their own decisions. I also feel bartenders should follow their conscience as well. Drugs are illegal, and shouldn't be sold period.

Sadly, what happens in the end if the baby is harmed? Normally, the state steps in and chaos comes next. Everyone - in other words taxpayers - are required to pay and possibly take care of this child from then on. If not them at times family members have to put their life's on hold, and Dad has to pick up the pieces after mom was irresponsible.

If I was a bartender and I knew someone was pregnant, I would refuse to serve them drinks.

Why? With our liberal tort laws, you would open yourself up to future liability.

 

[HannahT]

If I was a bartender and I knew someone was pregnant, I would refuse to serve them drinks.

Why? With our liberal tort laws, you would open yourself up to future liability.

That would mean this new law gets you either way. They get you if you refuse, and they get you if you don't.

 

[bhsmte]

That would mean this new law gets you either way. They get you if you refuse, and they get you if you don't.

On the surface, yes.

But, if you error on the side of being concerned with one's health and are basing that concern on reasonable information, you will be protected in the end.

 

[HannahT]

On the surface, yes.

But, if you error on the side of being concerned with one's health and are basing that concern on reasonable information, you will be protected in the end.

I would hope so. The article is confusing when you compare it to the video. One states they are denying women from entering a bar, and the other is speaking about drinking the liquor. Denying entry is silly.

Cases that prompted the new guidelines include a pregnant woman’s being denied access to a bar that her two non-pregnant friends were allowed to enter because of her bump, and another where a pregnant woman was denied access to a concert venue because of her pregnancy.

Just because you enter a bar doesn't mean you are going to drink Booze. They do supply non alcoholic beverages.

 

[bhsmte]

I would hope so. The article is confusing when you compare it to the video. One states they are denying women from entering a bar, and the other is speaking about drinking the liquor. Denying entry is silly.



Just because you enter a bar doesn't mean you are going to drink Booze. They do supply non alcoholic beverages.

Yes, denying entry is stupid.

Denying to serve them alcohol because of knowledge it could harm the fetus, completely different story.

 

[joshua 1 9]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/guidel...ens-order-alcohol-york-city/story?id=39032754

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

They have the right to kill the baby without any punishment so why would they be held responsible for this?

An abortion is more humane, then drinking and causing your baby to be permanent brain damage. And have no life any way. The sad thing is some woman are alcoholics and don't even find out they are pregnant until much later in the pregnancy. So abortions off the table and the baby suffers. Also the alcoholic need treatment more than punishment.

 

[SummerMadness]

Drinking alcohol does not hurt fetal development, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.

 

[nightflight]

Drinking alcohol does not hurt fetal development, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.

How much is excessive, and should a bartender be allowed to cut off a customer, like they could in other cases?