EDITORIAL
Meth moms require more than prosecution

Make no mistake. We are saddened and appalled that 2-day-old Treyson Aiwohi died because of crystal methamphetamine poisoning in 2001.

But as much as we want the boy's mother, Tayshea Aiwohi, to be held accountable for this tragic death, it would be a bad precedent to convict her of reckless manslaughter, as City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle wants.

First, the threat of criminal prosecution for drug-addicted mothers could cause such women to avoid seeking prenatal care or even giving birth at hospitals.

Also, Carlisle has argued in the past that it makes no difference whether the mother passed the drugs on to her son before or after the birth, the point being that he died because of the mother's reckless drug use.

But if there is no distinction between a fetus and a live baby, what does that say about pregnant women who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or take other risks? Can they be charged with reckless manslaughter or homicide if they miscarry?

Rather than take an "eye-for an-eye" approach to this tragedy, we'd rather see drug-addicted mothers get help and hospitals do all they can to identify drug-dependent newborns and make sure they stay in the hospital until the issue is addressed, especially if the baby, like Treyson, is carrying a toxic amount of crystal meth.