Establishing appropriate relations between the basic and applied areas of behavior analysis has been of long and persistent interest to the author. In this article, the author illustrates that there is a direct relation between how hard an organism will work for access to an object or activity, as indexed by the largest ratio completed under a…

Joyce's failure to uncover a negative relationship between crime and abortion was because of his decision to concentrate on a non-representative six-year period. Evidence supporting the claims that the crack-cocaine epidemic hit the high-abortion early-legalizing states earlier and more severely than other states of the U.S in 1970 is presented.

Advocates the use of criminal prosecution of pregnant women who abuse illegal substances. Discusses the views that use of drugs is a form of illness and that pregnant women should be exempt from laws. Concludes that court supervision and sanctions can improve treatment. Argues that punishment and treatment need not be mutually exclusive and…

Reviews the research on cocaine use and its effect on newborns; examines the popular misconceptions, including the background of children who are exposed; and discusses interventions. The author concludes with a discussion about looking beyond prenatal drug exposure and focusing on the child. Studies looking at these children longitudinally are…

This paper addresses the issues surrounding the widely publicized problem of newborn infants who have been exposed to cocaine before their birth, and suggests ways to prevent the problems associated with fetal exposure to drugs during pregnancy. The paper presents information concerning the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on infants,…

Discusses drug use in U.S. history. Argues that a "get-tough" approach did not work in the past and will not work in the future. Suggests that history can provide a scholarly assessment of drugs, foster understanding of drugs in contemporary society, and enable students to evaluate drug policies more objectively. (DK)

Increasing evidence shows that fetal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, phenylcyclidine hydrochloride (PCP), and other drugs results in infants with abnormal neurologic findings. This suggests the need for longitudinal studies to determine whether such findings will translate into a significant number of children with learning and behavioral problems.…

Increase in number of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and consequential developmental disabilities of these children are discussed. Families caring for HIV-infected children express four recurrent themes: psychological stress, grief and mourning, guilt and self-blame, and isolation and fear of discrimination. Flexible…

A review of the literature on biological and environmental effects of cocaine use suggests that the classification of infants and young children as prenatally cocaine exposed is neither descriptive nor predictive of behavior. The classification of behavior rather than labeling of the child is encouraged, as are partnerships with families of…

A framework is presented for developing collaborative, community-based programs to assist substance-using women and their young children. Five types of service providers are identified: medical personnel, welfare and child protective services, illicit drug use and mental health programs, community protection services, and ethnically based advocacy…

Discusses the alarming rise in numbers of infants perinatally exposed to illegal drugs, including crack and cocaine. Schools must provide more services for these babies. Service delivery systems should be developed and coordinated to help these babies. (GH)