26-year-old Tennessee resident Mallory Loyola was arrested by Monroe county deputies on July 8 for illegal drug use while pregnant. She was the first citizen arrested for violating a newly-enacted state law.
Law enforcement officials arrested Loyola after her newborn daughter tested positive for traces of meth. She was charged with assault and arrested shortly after being discharged from the hospital, post-birth. She was detained in jail on a $2,000 bond of cash or property.
Prior to this arrest, Loyola has history of run-ins with the law on meth-related charges.
Reporters from WATE TV went to Loyola's home to seek statements from her family. Her mother was there but refused to talk to them. Reporters interviewed Loyola's high school classmate and neighbors.
Authorities first received a tip from an anonymous source that a newborn baby girl had tested positive for meth. Bill Ravens, Monroe County Sheriff, said Loyola confessed she'd smoked meth days before delivering her child.
"Anytime someone is addicted and they can't get off for their own child, their own flesh and blood, it's sad," Ravens told WATE TV.
Ravens hoped similar cases could be prevented in the future as a result of the arrest. He expected his department would be able to remind pregnant women not to expose their babies to drugs and seek help regarding their addiction.
The new law was passed by the State Senate on July 8. The legislation will effectively allow authorities to file criminal charges against mothers who have exposed their babies to drugs. Tennessee mothers will be charged with homicide or assault if they're found guilty of taking illegal drugs while pregnant.
Illegal drug use among pregnant women in the United States is surprisingly quite common. According to a 2008-2009 survey from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 15.8 percent - about 14,000 - of women aged 15 to 17 use illegal drugs while pregnant. Earlier studies showed that illegal drug use causes low birth weight and poor behavioral and cognition development.
