Abortion and Smoking/Drinking

[Steezie]

I have a question for anti-abortionists.

Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink?

You believe that intentionally killing a fetus is murder. Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects. So with this in mind, should we make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink because they could cause fetal death?

 

[Northwest]

Would such a law be enforceable? I doubt it.

 

[Steezie]

Would such a law be enforceable? I doubt it.

Kinda like an abortion ban

 

[tapero]

I have a question for anti-abortionists.

Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink?

You believe that intentionally killing a fetus is murder. Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects. So with this in mind, should we make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink because they could cause fetal death?

Well, I don't know as many are born cocaine addicts and that is illegal, not to mention other illegal drugs. So, while be great if pregant that women didn't smoke or drink, appears regardless if is or is not illegal will still occur.

Speeding is illegal and yet people do speed.

Just to clarify, it is the doctor who performs the abortions in america at least, in most cases at least to my knowledge, and who is the killer of the child.

 

[Solidlyhere]

The OP said: "Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink? ... Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects."

I hope you have some scientific study to back up your Opinion.

First, in the area of Birth Defects, this has NOTHING to do with killing a baby.
So, this part of the OP is off-point.

Second, 25% of all Pregnancies are miscarried, through NO obvious conduct of the woman.
I have read studies that drinking booze (or smoking) can make a baby come out a little premature.
But, I have seen NO study suggesting that smoking or drinking kills fetuses.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

 

[WatersMoon110]

I have read studies that drinking booze (or smoking) can make a baby come out a little premature.
But, I have seen NO study suggesting that smoking or drinking kills fetuses.

I agree. Tobacco use has been shown to possibly cause low birth weight and alcohol use has been shown to cause birth defects (in the case of heavy alcohol use, some pretty drastic brain defects can happen). But I haven't seen too much evidence that tobacco or alcohol use during pregnancy often results in miscarriage.

 

[Steezie]

The OP said: "Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink? ... Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects."

I hope you have some scientific study to back up your Opinion.

First, in the area of Birth Defects, this has NOTHING to do with killing a baby.
So, this part of the OP is off-point.

Second, 25% of all Pregnancies are miscarried, through NO obvious conduct of the woman.
I have read studies that drinking booze (or smoking) can make a baby come out a little premature.
But, I have seen NO study suggesting that smoking or drinking kills fetuses.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Tobacco companies themselves admit right on their packaging that tobacco use can cause fetal death in pregnant women.

 

[WatersMoon110]

Tobacco companies themselves admit right on their packaging that tobacco use can cause fetal death in pregnant women.

"How can smoking harm the newborn?
Smoking nearly doubles a woman’s risk of having a low-birthweight baby. In 2002, 12.2 percent of babies born to smokers in the United States were of low birthweight (less than 5½ pounds), compared to 7.5 percent of babies of nonsmokers.2 Low birthweight can result from poor growth before birth, preterm delivery or a combination of both. Smoking has long been known to slow fetal growth. Studies also suggest that smoking increases the risk of preterm delivery 37 weeks of gestation). Premature and low-birthweight babies face an increased risk of serious health problems during the newborn period, chronic lifelong disabilities (such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems) and even death.

The more a pregnant woman smokes, the greater the risk to her baby. However, if a woman stops smoking by the end of her first trimester of pregnancy, she is no more likely to have a low-birthweight baby than a woman who never smoked. Even if a woman has not been able to stop smoking in her first or second trimester, stopping during the third trimester can still improve her baby’s growth.

Can smoking cause pregnancy complications?
Smoking has been associated with a number of pregnancy complications. Smoking cigarettes appears to double a woman’s risk of developing placental problems. 1 These include placenta previa (low-lying placenta that covers part or all of the opening of the uterus) and placental abruption (in which the placenta peels away, partially or almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery). Both can result in heavy bleeding during delivery that can endanger mother and baby, although a cesarean delivery can prevent most deaths. Placental problems contribute to the slightly increased risk of stillbirth that is associated with smoking.

Smoking in pregnancy also appears to increase a woman’s risk of premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) (when the sac inside the uterus that holds the baby breaks before labor begins).1 A woman with PROM may experience a trickle or gush of fluid from her vagina when her water breaks. Usually, she will go into labor within a few hours. When PROM occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy it is called preterm PROM, and it often results in the birth of a premature baby."
Source

 

[quatona]

You are adviced to not smoke or drink during an abortion.

 

[clarksided]

advised*

if you're going to make a lame joke at least try to do it properly

...that was needlessly anal of me. I apologize =]

(watch that turn out to be a correct way to spell it. man will my face be red)

 

[NOTW]

I have a question for anti-abortionists.

Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink?

You believe that intentionally killing a fetus is murder. Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects. So with this in mind, should we make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink because they could cause fetal death?

Knowing what we know now about smoking and the carcinogens present, I would impose a law that makes smoking illegal. PERIOD.

As for Alcohol, it is advisable not to drink, but it is okay if drinking is kept at a minimal.

 

[Renton405]

I have a question for anti-abortionists.

Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink?

You believe that intentionally killing a fetus is murder. Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects. So with this in mind, should we make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink because they could cause fetal death?

Women who smoke or drink when they are pregnant are very irresponsible.. I think they should make that illegal..Ive seen children with alcohol fetal syndrome and it is the saddest thing and makes me want to shake the mother who would do that to her child..

 

[Patashu]

Knowing what we know now about smoking and the carcinogens present, I would impose a law that makes smoking illegal. PERIOD.

As for Alcohol, it is advisable not to drink, but it is okay if drinking is kept at a minimal.

Making drugs illegal only increases the desire for them, and since it's now illegal fuels underground activity. See: The Prohibition

 

[Patashu]

I have a question for anti-abortionists.

Do you think we should make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink?

You believe that intentionally killing a fetus is murder. Cigarettes and alcohol can kill a fetus in the womb or cause horrific birth defects. So with this in mind, should we make it illegal for pregnant women to smoke or drink because they could cause fetal death?

I'd say it should be illegal, as long as the mother doesn't plan to abort. If she wants to have the kid and keeps on smoking/drinking anyway, that's just plain reckless/irresponsible. That's the kind of thing you should have your pregnancy license revoked for.

 

[Solidlyhere]

The OP said: "Tobacco companies themselves admit right on their packaging that tobacco use can cause fetal death in pregnant women."

I don't know what you've been smoking, but my friend (a smoker) denies that his cigs say that.

 

[I Just Believe In Me]

Women who smoke or drink when they are pregnant are very irresponsible.. I think they should make that illegal..Ive seen children with alcohol fetal syndrome and it is the saddest thing and makes me want to shake the mother who would do that to her child..

How far does it go than? At what point does the mothers right to do what she wants override protecting the fetus?

 

[tcampen]

Clearly, the point is to show the contradiction of those who want to make abortion illegal, but show no interest in also making illegal other conduct that will harm or kill the unborn child.

I've often wondered this myself, but as all the above posts prove, getting an honest answer from an anti-abortion rights person is extremely illusive.

 

[quatona]

advised*

if you're going to make a lame joke at least try to do it properly

...that was needlessly anal of me. I apologize =]

Au contraire - I consider it a service: Not being a native English speaker I welcome any assistance and advice [sic! ] that helps me getting a better grasp on your language.

I don´t seem to understand, though, why poor spelling is a greater issue with lame jokes than with funny jokes.

 

[Solidlyhere]

Tcampen said: "the point is to show the contradiction of those who want to make abortion illegal, but show no interest in also making illegal other conduct that will harm or kill the unborn child."

If a person wants to have an Abortion, she has a 100% chance of killing that fetus.

If a woman desperately wants to have a baby, and she does all the right things (vitamins, none of the no-nos), she has a 25% chance of killing her fetus (miscarriage).

If doing a particular Life-style thing will slightly affect the rate of miscarriage, this is NOT saying that the smoke or drink killed a particular fetus.
Let's pretend that smoking would (as an average) will increase the miscarriage rate by 5%. This would mean that smokers would have a 26% miscarriage rate.

The point with anti-Abortion advocates is: Abortion is certain, and deadly to a fetus.
So, tcampen would like to see women going to Jail for smoking or drinking.
This law would be quite interesting to enforce. A woman is seen in a bar. A person suspects that she might be pregnant.
He calls the police. An officer arrives. The woman is required to take a pregnancy test.
If she passes, she is Let Go ... but, if she's got a bun in the oven, she is arrested.

That being said, if there was some Drug (or Life-style choice) that TRULY increased the miscarriage rate significantly (say 40% instead of 25%), this would make sense to "regulate" (if Abortion were someday considered illegal). But, smoking and drinking just aren't a serious risk to a fetus. So, tcampen, find a ban that makes sense, and get back, OK?

 

[WatersMoon110]

The OP said: "Tobacco companies themselves admit right on their packaging that tobacco use can cause fetal death in pregnant women."

I don't know what you've been smoking, but my friend (a smoker) denies that his cigs say that.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that tobacco Surgeon General warnings just say "Pregnant women should not smoke." Or something of that nature. I've found that most packs tend to have that warning, rather than the other options ("Smoking increases risk of lung cancer." "Smoking will kill you."), probably since it only applies to a small amount of their potential customers.

I can't find any site, even anti-smoking sites, that say that smoking increases chance of fetal death. Just that it might contribute to low birth rate, and might cause premature labor.