Idaho may jail moms who use meth

By Elizabeth Wynne Johnson
Northwest News Network

Idaho may become the first state in the Northwest to make it a felony for a woman to use illegal drugs during pregnancy. It’s supposed to help protect the littlest victims of substance abuse, but critics worry about how it will be used.

Idaho’s first-responders and lawmakers say they’re tired of seeing the growing number of children affected by methamphetamine and other drugs. So they’re taking aim at pregnant women who use drugs with a proposed law known as the “Meth Mom” bill. It would order the women into drug treatment if appropriate.

But the felony status of the crime could mean up to five years in prison or a $50-thousand fine.

That worries North Idaho state senator Shawn Keough. In rural communities that don’t have drug treatment programs or counselors, she says a conviction is an automatic jail sentence.

“To make it a felony and to say that it is to provide treatment but not make certain that treatment network is in place is not a step that I was willing to take,” she says.

The bill narrowly passed the Senate this week. Now it’s on to the House, but no date has been set for a hearing.