http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Charity-Project-Prevention-Criticised-By-Drug-Support-Groups-For-Paying-Addicts-To-Be-Sterilised/Article/201010315760380?f=rss

What do you think?

I think its awful! A drug addict can't see to the future, they aren't in a good frame of mind and probably don't want kids now - but they cant tell how they will feel in the future.

£200 is nothing, but to a drug addict its more drugs, so they will do it...and how many might regret it further down the line when they are clean, have a family and want the NHS to fund a reversal?!

I agree with you but I saw an interview with the woman who started it up and a lot of it made sense to me. The people being sterilised in America were only sterilised after they had several children already and she had fostered or adopted several children who were all born addicted to drugs from the same mum. At the same time though, I kind of feel that that money could be better spent trying to support these people to get off drugs which would be much better in the long run! xx

I'm not sure about this one really - I mean they shouldn't become parents as druggies - everyone knows that, however some can be young, still in their teens, what happens if they become clean and want to settle down and have a family??

I don't really know if thats the way to go, not sure what the right way would be though x

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20101018/tuk-uk-britain-sterilisation-fa6b408.html

Personally, i think it's an interesting idea, but not sure of the ethics of it - or the practicalities.

Just posted about this in debates & polls! Controversial to say the least. On paper, makes sense, but the logistics and rights/wrongs would take forever to get to the bottom of. Why do they need paying to do it exactly? Am I missing something?! Surely having it done for free (paid for) would make more sense?

Buuuut if this is where it starts - where does it end? It's a sad fact that many children are taken off unfit parents / mothers; so by the same logic would or could they be the next in line for this kind of thing?

I'm also unsure on this one. Whilst I have always believed everyone should get a second chance and if they were to get themselves clean in future would have the joy of children taken away, I have also seen first hand the damage drug abuse in pg can do . My mum's neighbour adopted a little boy who's mother was a heroin addict throughout her pg and he was born dependant and had to be weaned off at birth himself. The drugs caused him to be born brain damaged and whilst he is an adorable little lad, he will never be able to live independantly and has had so much robbed from his life by a woman who knowingly did nothing to prevent damage to her babies health.

I do think however that any drug addicted woman known to the authorities should be made to have long term contaception, such as the coil or implant, fitted and only removed when they can prove they have been clean for x amount of months/years (dependant on the drug i guess). It may be seen as 'against their human rights' ( ) but surely it is against an newborn babies human rights to have to endure they pain and distress of drug withdrawals and then live with the consequences of someone elses selfish actions.

xx

I think it may be a good idea, as several women turn to turning tricks to fuel their drug needs...resulting in pregnancies and more kids relying on the system for their care. I would like to suggest once they overcome their drug issues down the road, and are clean for a period of time, the NHS should pay for the reversal of it should they choose to be parents later on. It's not the drug users that bother me..that's their choice, but the children that come from this are innocent victims who are proven to repeat their parents history. It's not an ideal solution, but a solution. xx

From a personal experience I agree with this.
My cousins daughter is a heroin addict (thief & general scumbag) her child was born an addict but was treated at birth and the clean from it. My cousin had to sell up in the uk and move abroad with this baby as she wanted this baby to be away from the life her mother led. They were doing really well but have had to come back as her daughter has had another baby, again treated at birth for his addiction. The babies mother is in and out of prison so my cousin has the two babies. I think thhe babies mum should be sterilized as it would be a bit too much for my cousin who is in her 50s to look after any more.

So what if this girl ever gets clean?!? Nobody forced her to start taking drugs. She didn't have deprived up bringing she just chose this life. Maybe if this country didn't have to spend so much on the drug addicts, their treatment, their rehabilitation, their benefits etc the money could be spent on worthier causes ie neo natal care, fertiity treatment, education, nhs etc.

BabyMilly wrote:

From a personal experience I agree with this.
My cousins daughter is a heroin addict (thief & general scumbag) her child was born an addict but was treated at birth and the clean from it. My cousin had to sell up in the uk and move abroad with this baby as she wanted this baby to be away from the life her mother led. They were doing really well but have had to come back as her daughter has had another baby, again treated at birth for his addiction. The babies mother is in and out of prison so my cousin has the two babies. I think thhe babies mum should be sterilized as it would be a bit too much for my cousin who is in her 50s to look after any more.

So what if this girl ever gets clean?!? Nobody forced her to start taking drugs. She didn't have deprived up bringing she just chose this life. Maybe if this country didn't have to spend so much on the drug addicts, their treatment, their rehabilitation, their benefits etc the money could be spent on worthier causes ie neo natal care, fertiity treatment, education, nhs etc.

I hear you on this! And from personal experience as having to pay for my diabetic child's needles..yet a drug addict get's them free and safe injection sites to shoot up in. Explain that?? They are a burden on society and everyone has had problems in their life..why do some pull out of it..while others use this as an excuse to use? Gah..I get so mad at this!

i think they could give them an incentive of sorts, rather than steralising them, have it so they HAVE to come for the injection or the coil fitted. or make it a technicallity of their methedone programme should they be on one. heck when i was leavign the hospital, they offered me the implant fitted as part of my discharge. they could have this instead. if they did decided to be clean later on and have a faimily and its not too late, then they can. they are still human beings at the end of the day.

i think i agree with you laura ,,, there are so many babies being born under horrible circumstances they deserve better x

prevention is better than cure in some cases x