Project Prevention Brings Controversial Program That Pays Drug Addicts and/or
Alcoholics $300 To Be Sterilized or Use Long-Term Birth Control to Orlando.
30-foot RV adorned with advertising about controversial
"cash-for-birth-control" program to visit Orlando on July 31, 2008.
Orlando, FL - July 30, 2008 - North Carolina-based Project Prevention,
which offers a cash incentive of $300 to drug addicts and/or alcoholics to
receive long-term or permanent birth control, will bring its 30-foot motor
home to Orlando on Thursday, July 31, 2008. To date, the program has paid over
2,500 participants responsible for over 11,000 pregnancies prior to entering
the program to obtain long-term or permanent birth control.
Project Prevention was established in 1998 to address the nearly 300,000
children born each year substance exposed. Now in its tenth year, the program
has at a minimum prevented more than 2,300 children from being born substance
exposed. The cost of caring for those 2,300 potential lives would have
exceeded $1 billion when taking into account the costs associated with caring
for such children. These costs include healthcare (between $243 and $906
million annually), special education ($8.4 billion annually), and foster care
($6 billion annually).
Founder and director Barbara Harris, who personally adopted four out of
eight children to one substance abusing mother, will drive the groups motor
home throughout the city accompanied by her four adopted children. The motor
home will travel throughout the city to increase awareness and reach potential
clients with information being distributed and fliers posted throughout the
city.
The exterior of Project Prevention's 30-foot motor home is wrapped in
advertising that promotes the program with stark, heart-wrenching photographs
and statistics illustrating the life-long medical consequences faced by
children born to addicts. The back of the motor home provides vivid insight
into the realities of children born substance exposed by stating, "She has her
daddy's eyes, and her mommy's addiction," with the image of a crying baby as
the backdrop.
Project Prevention is a national, 501(c)3 not-for-profit that offers cash
incentives to women addicted to drugs and/or alcohol to use long-term or
permanent birth control. The organization has paid clients in 39 states and
the District of Columbia. Project Prevention's mission is to reduce the number
of substance exposed births to zero - because every baby deserves a sober
start! www.projectprevention.org
When: Thursday, July 31, 2008, in Orlando.
Approx. 11:00 AM local time
Where: Contact Barbara Harris for exact location(s) and to schedule
interviews. 704-453-1119
For more information, contact:
Barbara Harris
704-453-1119
SOURCE Project Prevention
