Editors’ Note: “Freedom Fighter of the Month” has long been a popular feature in High Times magazine, dating back to the 1990’s. Today, we’re bringing it back as a monthly column! Send nominations to hightimesfreedomfighters@gmail.com with the subject line “Freedom Fighter of the Month.” Tell us who you think should be recognized and how to best contact that person, so we can add them to our growing list of unsung heroes to highlight in communities like yours.
“Drug overdose is the #1 cause of death in the 12 months following birth. Our mamas are dying.”
Joelle Puccio is a Registered Nurse and co-founder of the Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction (APHR). In a nutshell, they advocate for one of the most highly-scrutinized groups in existence: pregnant and nursing mothers with a history of substance use.
“When you look at a certain group of people more, you’re going to find things more, just because you’re looking,” explains Puccio.
A Harm Reduction Toolkit for Pregnant & Nursing Mothers
Research is one of the most frequently used tools in Puccio’s role as Director of Education at APHR, which recently published a Harm Reduction Toolkit for pregnancy and substance use. The easily digestible 8-page handbook, available in English and Spanish, offers guidance on everything from tobacco, nicotine and alcohol use during pregnancy to opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepines.
The manual definitively states, “there is no evidence to suggest that cannabis is related to stillbirth, preterm labor, significantly low birth weight, birth defects, or feeding problems.” Unfortunately, as Puccio notes, prohibition is rarely about the science, and for pregnant and nursing mothers, the equation is complex.
“It has to be mostly a question of where do you live, how likely are you to get caught, if you do get caught, how likely …
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Author: Kari Boiter / High Times
