This Woman Pays Drug Users Not To Have Kids (HBO) 

We caught up with Barbara Harris during her first trip of the summer, where she target areas where addicts hang out" Watch more opioid coverage: bit.ly/2gHUxfR

As a child of a drug addict I support what this woman is doing 110% These women will likely never be good mothers and innocent kids would end up suffering because they cant stay clean or get their shit together.

I'm black, and to me that woman is a hero. She is not racist.

As a child of a drug addict, bless this woman. I hardly made it growing up, I couldn't imagine my mom having any more children, I don't think they'd make it.

"If you believe that these woman should keep conceiving than you should step up and adopt the next one born..."👏👏👏 - this what EVERYONE should think about when planning to conceive.

I can't believe those women sat there with a straight face and advised that drugs don't harm babies. "Only 3%..." Riiiiiiiiiiight.

She is limiting the amount of, disabled or born addicted-to-drugs, babies due to drug-addicted mothers... how hard is that to understand? The reporter is so biased that she's seriously trying to make the woman believe she's in the wrong? Really?? If a woman is in the mindset of prioritizing drugs over whether she will affect her baby with those drugs- she should not be pregnant!

This woman is a hero. The Vice attack on her is insulting.

My dad often says "I have an alcoholic living in me but I don't have another recovery in me." Hes been clean 20+ years. This woman is a saint. Children born to addicts are more likely to be sexually abused and addicted themselves.

This reporter kind of makes me mad. This isn't like they're being forced to do this. Has this reporter ever seen a baby born addicted to hard drugs? It is ABSOLUTELY abuse!

The reporter obviously has never experienced poverty before. The first step out of poverty is not getting pregnant. The lady who provides the cash is offering an incentive for someone who is blasted out of their mind. Having scores of children with no hope for getting clean will only continue to make everyone struggle.

I work for CPS I'm telling you Barbara is providing a service to all the communities she served.

If you are not part of the solution, just shush. Bless this woman and her family.

That last question really irked me. If you used to be an addict that was sterilized and turned your life around so much that you're now 100% stable financially, off drugs, and 100% emotionally mature and stable, ADOPT. Giving an unwanted child with no home a loving, stable parent, there's your second chance right there. Family is what you make it, stop romanticizing biological ties.

She's right. Just wish the Vice reporter could stop interjecting her own bias into her questions

Why is the interviewer shaming her for not wanting another child

As a foster to adopted child I am with Barbara Harris 100%. People who do not have the means or stability to have children should simply not have children, and should not subject the unborn to forced drugs or alcohol abuse. Abuse of prescription medication doesn't harm a child in the womb? Meth and heroine addiction has no affect on an unborn child? Where is their proof??? ALSO not everyone HAS to have children. Women aren't just baby machines. Some people know themselves very well and like that one woman said, they know their own limits! Telling them "they just don't believe in themselves" is rude, downright disrespectful and totally invalidates the years of introspection that went in to that person's personal choice. The interviewer implied that if the woman didn't think it was a good idea for her to have a third child, then it was just because she wasn't trying hard enough. Taking care of one disabled child is difficult. The interviewer wants her to have 2 more??? WTH! How thoughtless and arrogant! Especially coming from another woman. Disgusting. What stranger has the right to talk to her like that??? Some people realize that being childfree or to stop having more children is the best decision for them and their own families. Let people make their own decisions and stop perpetuating this unhealthy myth that women who are not mothers are somehow less than, or that motherhood and fatherhood is something for everyone. Some people are just not cut out to be parents and know that about themselves. Let them be and don't pressure people who don't want to have kids into having children. And if you are going to encourage people to have children who do not have the means to take care of them or who will birth children who are addicted to drugs, then like Barbara said, adopt them.

She adopted 4 black children, how is there even a question about her "targeting" women of color? She has a beautiful family and a seemingly open mind. God Bless her and her giving heart!

Who cares about the skin color of her clients? It's about the lifestyle. If where she is, more Black people are in that lifestyle, then that's who she is doing this for. She is a servant, not a Master

How are IUDs or implants bad? And sterilization is just one option of many she's giving. They chose to get sterilized. Does this interviewer think that women DON'T have the right to choose to be sterilized? Drug addicted or not, a LOT of women genuinely do not give a damn about having kids.

This woman is right, the women she is helping will have time to heal and grow while they are on contraception, and they can later have a child. The ones, in particular those that have many kids already and are addicted/ selling their bodies for drugs should take up the sterilisation option 100%.

The last woman with two healthy children was incredibly lucky. Most people who use during pregnancy aren't. She assumes everyone is as lucky as her kids & can't see the big picture even though she says she cares & works with other drug addicts. How can she be so blind to reality?

This is a spectacular idea. I have nothing but sympathy for addicts, having known several myself, but they do not have a right to have children that may very likely have lifelong disabilities directly caused by their mother's substance addiction. I think temporary, long-term birth control like IUDs should be encouraged over sterilization, because many addicts go on to get clean and be wonderful parents. But as long as they are using substances they should be nowhere near children. Get clean, then have all the kids you want. This woman is doing a hell of a lot more good for society than the reporter or any of her critics who aren't actively helping addicts.

the interviewer is unprofessional :(

Where can I donate to her cause. She walks the walk and talks the talk, she has 4 adopted kids. She is amazing.

wowww!! this lady has got the right idea. I know a lot of people will sit here and act like what she is doing is completely wrong... but birthing a drug addicted child is freaking HORRIBLE. I've experienced first hand by having to help wean babies off dope and is an awful experience and I would not wish that on anybody, my cousins ex girlfriend was getting high behind his back and he was to blind to see the signs. there second born was born a meth addict and there third and final baby was born a heroin addict. the boy that was addicted to heroin could not leave the hospital for 6 months because as soon as he was born the doctors had to put him on strong dosages of methodone to wing him off of heroin. after the boy came home it was so hard, he would not sleep or eat for days. All he did was cry and cry and cry. it was terrible having to witness a newborn go through that and not being able to sooth him because his little body was basically asking for heroin.

7:15 This is like saying: "I've driven home drunk twice and I never killed anybody while doing it. This means that not only can it not happen to anyone else, but also that any method of prevention cannot possibly be helpful in saving lives."

This is the same reporter that was on the episode when they were talking about aids. She really is not professional. She always have to add her opinions and feeling into the interviews. Gul sit down and get out yo feelings

Barbara’s last words hit me, what an answer 👏🏼

the last 10 sec of this lady's argument crushes all opposition to her program. its estimated that more than 2.5 million children are homeless in America with an additional 100k+ kids waiting for adoption each year. if programs like this can quantifiably reduce those numbers and the pain and suffering of children born into families, or lack there of, struggling with extreme poverty and drug addiction, then i see absolutely no ethical reason to why this program shouldn't exist. its clear this lady did her part to adopt children born into these circumstances, but she knows not everyone is as generous as she is, this is the next best thing. lets take care of the ones we have and try to prevent the births of children who STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, have a greater possibility of an impoverished, drug and crime ridden life.

TUH! she shut that reporter down! NO SOLUTION NO COMMENT unless you wanna start adopting these kids!

She's so right. Not every addict is trying to quit. And she can't fix any of the socio economic situations these people are suffering from and in. She can protect the next generation of children from the terrible homes they usually become.

this interviewer was clearly biased, get better staff vice

Are these people actually justifying putting an unborn baby into danger and portraying it as a 'social problem' rather than a possibly permanent health risk? Drug addicts shouldn't have children, case closed. Putting another life into danger or justifying it because your own somehow turned out fine is just plain sad and wrong. Fix yourself before you bring another life into your misery.

I'm a a former heroin addict and I think the non permanent birth control is hard to argue with. Using/drinking just doesn't mix with child rearing... you can't do it.

The mom crying saying she knows her limitations is telling her truth. Everyone should watch this woman if they are thinking about making a baby with a substance problem. She has her kids and is raising them. She has done well.

I’m pro-life and I think what she is doing is smart and humane. It’s helping women make decisions BEFORE they get pregnant.

That reporter is extremely biased and is just asking loaded questions to the point you can feel her dislike/hatred for what that woman does. .

The women who said drugs does not affect the babies should watch this video and see what it did to the lady with the child with mental disabilities smh

People need to visit a detox ward for newborns, then ask if they believe this is ok as long as the birth mom retained fertility.

This is incredible. My boyfriend is a heroin addict and if we had kid's he'd choose heroin. Drug addicts will neglect anything other than their drug. Such an amazing idea 😍

She is doing a positive thing for her community, i believe she's saving thousands of lives from being born into shit situations , abuse, loser parents , from orphanges and everything that comes with living in poverty.

I'm tired of these pompous, arrogant vice reporters who push their own agendas...

BARBRA! my woman! My heart goes out to her! Im in full support!

I’ve watched this when I was hurting with my moms addiction, I’ve watched this after I forgave my mom, and was healing, now I watched again while pregnant. My opinion hasn’t changed, Barbara is doing something amazing, she’s changing a small section of her world, she’s adopted, she’s helping addicts make good choices. Those women at the end are promoting ideals that aren’t factual, and that blonde one is so entitled. If you are not capable of being parent who can’t even take care of themselves then don’t even become a parent.

That lady is my hero. In nursing school I had my OB rotation and had a patient who was 34 weeks pregnant with her 7th baby and she was addicted to crack for all of them. The doctor was inducing her because the environment inside the mother would be more harmful than letting the baby be born prematurely. Wow- just let that sink in. It had a deep and lasting impact on me.

This lady is a saint and should be applauded for her efforts! You cannot call her a racist if she has adopted Black kids! 🤦‍♀️

3:07 *"How is that any more than a band-aid on a huge problem?"* What is your point, Jenny Kleeman & VICE? Even if it is a band-aid, it isn't the responsibility of this woman or her organization to look at the social issues that are causing the problem. Hell, it isn't even her responsibility to prevent drug addicts from giving birth to drug-addicted children, but she's trying to do some good and I don't support you taking issue with that.

The world is better for this woman.

My own mother sterilized herself after having 2 children because her health was declining and she knew that another pregnancy would be extremely risky for her own health and that of the child, and she wanted to be around to raise the kids she had already. She was shunned and guilted for that choice by many family members and 'friends', (one of many reasons I don't put a high value on blood relatives). I don't understand how someone who is pro-choice with abortion can be so against chosen sterilization. If I weren't gay I would probably opt to sterilize myself. The only way I can even think about having kids in the world we live in is if I were able to help a child that was already in need of a home. I honestly see it as similar to getting a pet from the local shelter vs. insisting on a dog from a breeder.

Hey VICE! Great that you share the opposing views in this matter. But when one of the views is that drugs don't harm babies in the womb I think you also have the responsibility to confront that argument with scientific facts. Some people are stupid enough to actually believe that.

My (white) cousin's daughter was born 10 months ago. She spent her first 4 months in the NICU coming off heroin, and suffering from seizures everyday. My husband and I are fostering and adopting her as well as her older brother who'll be 2 in November. I would love for that lady at the end who thinks it only affects 3% of babies, to come and meet my daughter and see how she struggles to hit her milestones. I also put my cousin's race out there, just for whoever wants to think this is a racial issue. I wish someone would pay my cousin to at least get an IUD. Both of her children's biological father was her dealer who didn't want anything to do with them, and immediately signed his rights away. What kind of life is that for any child? Shame on you Vice! This is why I stopped following you (thank you, RU-vid algorithm). You allow for too much of your bias to seep into your stories!!!

Thumbs down for pointed bias against the person who is doing the work to solve the problem.

That's insane that they are saying illicit drugs don't affect birth defects. That can not be true. Even if it isn't the drugs themselves the health of the mother is what the infant grows with what she consumes so does the child and if drugs have a negative effects on the user it would definite affect the child they are growing

im a clean drug addict & i couldnt agree more w barbara. as for the host we dont need babying, some ppl rly need a reality check & a permanent solution, bc its true that u r an addict for life even if ur not using the chance of relapse is always there & i think the worst kind of abuse is done to an unborn bby when the chance of escape from it is absolutely 0%

So that one woman just did drugs while pregnant & bragging about it? "Oh my kids turned out fine." Then they sit there with smug looks on their faces saying only 3% of kids come out messes up cuz of drugs. Wtf.

I watched this video a year ago, and am still pissed off about how the reporter treated this woman. She's doing an incredibly good thing for these women and for these children. She stepped up and adopted these children, she's stepping up and actually trying to help solve the problem. Where do these armchair critics who have done little to nothing to help get the gal to criticize her? Drugs are no fucking joke. Meth for example, releases almost 200x the pleasure inducing hormones that sex, food or even water give you. That means it's not just about "feeling good", it means these drugs literally reprograms your brain to interpret meth to be more important, and more necessary to life than food, water or sex. An addict's brain interprets withdrawal as more dangerous than starvation, or dying of thirst. These women are not in a safe place in any sense of the word to become pregnant. The dangers to the developing fetus are far more than "3%:", what a fucking joke. The foster care system is flooded with kids with developmental disabilities, and that have, by these circumstances, far higher chances of becoming addicts themselves. This program is honest salvation. Full stop.

i love how men are commenting on this about a woman’s choice to sterilize when they obviously have no idea what it’s like to go to a gynecologist and request a sterilization. it takes multiple visits and most doctors require a psych evaluation as well before a sterilization. at the end of the day the procedure is entirely based on the doctors opinion. a woman who’s older and has had kids is most likely gonna get one. an 18 year old with no kids and no desire to have them (me) has been denied by 4 different doctors. these men have no idea what it’s like to be a woman and to not have the choice to do what you want with YOUR OWN BODY. this woman is doing an amazing thing and i really don’t think sterilization is the first thing she or any doctor are recommending. the addicts have the option. why are we not supporting this woman’s effort to end drug addicted newborns being in foster care??

Most addicts are probably like "I can get a lot of dope for 300 bucks."

Praise this woman for actually taking action...!!! ❤️🙌🏽

I adopted two boys(biological brothers) who were born addicted. I assumed by adopting them and removing them from their biological family’s environment that I’d somehow be able to break certain inherited characteristic traits. My boys cognitive skills totally off. They have absolutely no impulse control. They’ve been in and out of behavior facilities because somehow they don’t comprehend certain bad choices. I’m not going to lie, it’s been hell. I love my sons but it’s been a rough time with them as well. If you’re an addict simply don’t have kids.

They should go ask state social workers if they think drug addicts should have kids. Ask them about their clients. I'm very liberal but facts are facts and this piece to me came off as the reporter having a definite viewpoint. It's not eugenics it's people acting irresponsible with their lives which is their choice but providing them a means to not bring other lives into this world that they can't take care of.

We need a MILLION more just like her!!!

I have a child that has been affected by drugs during pregnancy. And his cousin's (there's about 10 of them) has permanent damage from the drugs the mom used. These two ladies do not know what they are talking about.

I almost cried when I heard what this woman was doing. She may not have the most right answer but she has been trying her best to help.

We need women like her in every state!

Why does the interviewer have to bring race into this?

Where are you Barbara, I can't find any recent news about you.... I've seen some of your story on various videos and hope you are ok and still doing this important work.

I wish there were something like this on a global scale, to encourage certain people to not have children...

I absolutely love what this woman is doing only thing it needs services like this all over the US and to the people who are in disagreement in what this woman is doing needs to go to a hospital when the Drs are trying to detox a newborn baby off of Crack or Meth it will change your whole life around so I salute this woman she has to be God sent!

Exactly step up and adopt these children because a strung out or drunk person is utterly incapable of caring for any child.

This is a BRILLIANT idea!!!! Well done ma'am!!! I applaud you. I think this is something that governments everywhere should adopt.

Birth defects have nothing to do with the drugs? Have you ever seen a baby just born on drugs? I 100% agree with Barbra.

7:50 drugs do not cause unique permanent damage? wtf is this woman for real? She obviously has no clue what she is talking about...

This woman is doing God's work!

Vice need to take notes on interviewers from unreported world or asian boss. They're very open minded and try to be unbiased as possible

If you let someone pay you to get sterilised- then you shouldn't have kids in the first place. They're choosing to let her pay them, it's their choice to give up their fertility.

That woman is an angel. God bless her! The Vice reporter asked ridiculous questions at times, as if she was set on finding flaws in her work.

I'm so torn whether I should give a thumbs up or down because of the bias reporting.

“When you talk to the medical researchers, the great news is that none of the criminalised drugs cause unique, permanent, terrible damage”....Lady, I don’t know what the hell kind of ‘medical researchers’ you’ve been consulting, but that is the biggest load of bullshit I have ever heard.

Finally someone with Common sense,good job ma'am

Damn she kept it 100% and you have to respect that.

It's absurd how they are defending drug users having children and denying the face that a lot of the children born from drug abusing mothers or even alcohol many of them have issues when they are born which may be lasting with them for many years after birth

Wow I am going to donate some money to this lady. She is so right!

This woman is a hero. She has a mission and she knows exactly why she does what she does.

Omg! Why aren't there more people like her?? She's completely right

lol are they really saying that if an addict gets clean they're no longer addicted?? That's not how it works, you will always be addicted the only difference is you're not going to be doing those drugs. But if there was crack in front of an ex crackhead they would still probably do the crack. Addicts have to deliberately stay away from their addictions because at any moment they could relapse.

Do they offer sterilization for men who are drug addicts as well? Good job lady.

I’m a recovering heroin, meth, and opiate addict. I’m coming up on 3 years clean this June!💗 finding out I was pregnant with my daughter was what saved my life!💗 I sadly found out at 25 weeks being I had no symptoms and have pcos where I don’t have periods in the first place.. but the day I found out I was pregnant was the day I went back where I was living and packed up and left to go back home with family to get clean and re start my life! My daughter is truly the best thing that ever happened to me and I thank God everyday I was blessed with such an amazing, beautiful gift!🙌💗 I know many girls though that used all the way through their pregnancy and still use today.. I’m so thankful that I did change and chose a better life for me and my daughter and that she was born healthy and is a smart, beautiful, thriving little girl!😊💗

Even if nothing is physically wrong how can u be a good mother strung out on drugs.

this woman is an angel sent from heaven

Why aren't we funding this!?!? Don't worry I know why the private sector stands to gain nothing from it.

Considering the effects of mere malnutrition and poor health on the child during pregnancy, I think it's not at least an unthinkable solution to give birth control to women who struggle with addiction. On top of that, addictive traits runs in genes, so it's extremely important that a child who inherits that trait gets the best possible chance to grow in a healthy and drug free enviroment, so they don't inherit the addiction as well. Psychological effects of abuse, neglect and poor parenting on a child's psyche are immense, so it's ridiculous that anyone suggests that a person who isn't able to consent to birth control in their opinion, is able to consent to getting a child or is even able to function as a parent. It's either or. Either the parents are able to decide on having as well as not having children, or they're not. If they're not able to consent to birth control, they sure as hell shouldn't be having kids either.

Now this woman gets it. I'm a libertarian and I believe people should have the right to do whatever they want with their own body, but keep children out of it! I want as few serious drug addicts to have children as possible; this seems to be too soft on em in my book. Maybe make it a law, Idunno--I'd at least make this organization government subsidized, I'll say that at least. But as far as drug laws go, I say let people do whatever they want with their OWN body. Children are just a different story.

That woman is a fucking Angel!

A little weird how the reporter was asking “What if these drug addicts regret sterilization?” Isn’t the more important question “What if these drug addicts regret having kids?” At least with the sterilization regret, that regret is one that only you will carry. But if you regret having kids when you weren’t capable of caring for them, then that’s a regret that you will share with your kids.

This lady is a TRUE BLESSING..ANY ONE THAT disagrees is SLAP CRAZY!!

ROFL love when she calls the interviewer racist... because she is: she thinks blacks don't have their own agency, and infantilizes them.

the mother with the two " healthy kids" look a bit off

She's a wonderful woman,wish I had met her years before,alot if pain could have avoided...god bless her mission!