How Often Does Child Welfare Call Police in Your State for Positive Drug Tests at Birth?

This resource was created by The Marshall Project.

A recent Marshall Project investigation revealed that state child welfare agencies shared allegations of pregnancy substance use with law enforcement more than 70,000 times over a span of six years. These allegations are often based on unreliable drug testing at childbirth, which can return false positives as much as half the time.

Claims of pregnancy drug use led new mothers to be interrogated in their hospital rooms, arrested by police and charged with offenses that carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison. Police removed newborns from their parents’ custody due to false positives triggered by prescription medications, common foods like poppy seeds and legal CBD gummies.

Referral practices vary widely depending on the state. Use this tool below to explore the data and policies in your state.