Attorney General Larry Mussenden has called for pregnant drug addicts to be locked up to protect their unborn children from being ravaged by narcotics.

He said some female drug users were prostituting themselves and giving birth to unwanted children ? some of who died after being born prematurely.

Tough measures were necessary to protect babies at risk, Sen. Mussenden told in an exclusive interview yesterday.

He said drugs ripped apart families, with addicts stealing from the home to support their habits while some prostituted themselves.

"I am aware we have a number of ladies addicted to drugs who get pregnant.

"They don't know who the fathers are, they don't get prenatal care and will show up at the hospital, have the baby and disappear.

"Some of the children are born addicted to drugs and later on some get adopted and some are fortunate to have a very happy upbringing but others under those circumstances have psychological problems as young children.

"I have some initial discussions with some other Government officials about encouraging the mothers addicted to drugs to go and get prenatal care and to treat their addiction.

"But I also have an overriding concern with the child because they have a right to be protected from the effects of the drugs.

"And so my intention is to encourage the medical treatment and protection of mother and child where addiction is concerned and to use every aspect of the law to offer that protection, even if it means having to detain the lady who is addicted to drugs so that she cannot take drugs.

"Whilst that may seem heavy-handed to some people I think right-thinking members of society will recognise the importance of offering medical treatment and protection to both mother and child.

"That is an idea I am developing.

"They would be detained for the duration of the pregnancy so that they can be provided the proper treatment for the child and the proper addiction treatment and the proper protection so they can become loving and responsible parents with the child."

He said some of the children were mentally and physically damaged by drugs they ingested in the womb.

"Some of the children are born prematurely and have died as a result."

Sen. Mussenden said he was excited about proposed new laws to toughen up penalties for drugs dealers. "I cannot get into it too much now but you will see something by the end of the parliamentary session."

Other countries have relaxed penalties for soft drugs but Sen. Mussenden said there was no push for similar actions here.

"I have seen the effects of drugs on families in Bermuda and I believe we have to take a stand."

He said there were a number of applications in the pipeline to try to take away drug dealers assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.