Other Drugs

Street drugs (also called illegal, illicit or recreational drugs) include marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamine, hashish, ketamine and prescription drugs (taken outside the advice of a care provider). Using these drugs can cause problems for you before and during your pregnancy including infertility, preterm labour, miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects.

Do not stop taking these drugs, especially heroin, without getting treatment from your healthcare provider first. Quitting suddenly can cause severe problems for you and your baby, including death. Visit the links below to learn more about how using street drugs can harm your pregnancy and how to access specialized services to help you quit or find other ways to reduce harm to yourself and your baby.

• Mothercraft - Programs and services for addictions, parenting, development and more
• HealthyFamiliesBC - Risks of using street drugs during pregnancy
• Merck Manual - Illicit Drugs During Pregnancy
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Substance Use During Pregnancy
• Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
• Canadian Centre for Addictions: Addiction During Pregnancy
• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse During Pregnancy