A local lawmaker’s attempt to criminalize controlled substance use while pregnant was narrowly defeated this month after a state committee heard overwhelming testimony against it.
A bill that would have criminalized the use of methamphetamine or a controlled substance during pregnancy failed to move forward.The Joint Judiciary Committee heard testimony Sept. 12 on a bill that would punish a person for using a controlled substance while pregnant with up to five years in prison and/or a fine of $5,000 or less.
Over the past three years, more than 50 newborn babies in Fremont County have been diagnosed with impacts related to maternal alcohol or drug use, according to the Wyoming Hospital Association.