'Sterilise addicts' charity targets Scots

Project Prevention workers have been meeting Scots with dependency problems and offering them money never to have children.

The group's founder, Barbara Harris, admits her extreme views have seen her spat at and compared to Hitler, but says that having adopted four children of women who abused drink or drugs while pregnant, she has seen how it affects them.

Speaking during a BBC Scotland documentary to be broadcast tonight, Ms Harris, from North Carolina, in the United States, said: "I got very angry about the damage that these drugs do to these children. It was unbelievable. (One of them] could not sleep, he couldn't eat, his eyes were big, noise bothered him, light bothered him. It broke my heart.

"We've seen the stats on the amount of drug addicted babies born (in Scotland] and it seems its definitely a place that could benefit from what we do."

The project, which has received a 20,000 donation from an anonymous British supporter, has been criticised by drug charities Addaction and the Scottish Drugs Forum.

Professor Neil McKeganey, of Glasgow University's Centre for Drug Misuse Research, has backed paying drug-addicted women to take contraception, but said irreversible sterilisation was going too far.

Dr Mary Hepburn, a consultant obstetrician, said: "Presumably the people she is most aiming at are the ones with a chaotic drug problem.

If someone attends under the influence of drugs and alcohol and asks to be sterilised then it's questionable whether they can give informed consent. I'd imagine my colleagues would not agree to sterilise them under those circumstances."

The documentary shows Project Prevention's first UK patient, a man referred to as "John".

He said: "I've been involved with drugs since probably about the age of 12. I won't be able to support a kid."

The reaction among US addicts has been mixed. Tina, who took drugs and drank beer before giving birth to a still-born child, said: "If you're using drugs and you don't care enough about your own body, care enough about the baby."

Angela, a recovering addict, said: "It's not easy being an addict but it's certainly not easy being in recovery with the chance of children being taken away because of a stupid mistake you made when vulnerable."

Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, said: "We work with many families where substance mis-use is or has been an issue in the home. We know that people can go on to lead drug-free lives and provide a caring and stable environment for their children."

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "We are aware of this organisation and we do not support them. We are focused on ensuring the appropriate advice, guidance and support about birth control and family planning are part of drug treatment services."