Chemical endangerment law debated

DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) - The head of a state women's advocacy group says a growing number of pregnant women are being prosecuted under Alabama's chemical endangerment law and that incarceration is the wrong approach.

But supporters of the statute say such cases are pursued to help the child and in hopes of preventing other pregnant women from making the same mistake.

The chemical endangerment charge is a class C felony that carries a possible punishment of one to 10 years in prison.

The Alabama Women's Resource Network, the Alabama Voices for Recovery and the National Advocates for Pregnant Women recently hosted a conference to discuss the law. According to research done by one of the groups, a large number of the cases were located in northern and southeastern Alabama.