In the case of Ferguson versus the City of Charleston I believe that the needs of the public safety override the patient’s privacy regarding their urine. In a situation in which a mother is using crack while she is pregnant the fetus will also become addicted to the drug. This will contribute to the suffering of the infant throughout its infancy and throughout the rest of its life. Since the drug will impact the child long-term I think that it is important for some significant figure to step in and try to get the pregnant mother help. However, I believe that the way in which the situation was handled in this case was inappropriate. The office should receive consent to test the pregnant mother and disclose the repercussions of a positive test.
