THUNDER BAY – No amount of alcohol is a safe amount for women who are pregnant.
That’s the message that was delivered on Friday outside the Arthur Street LCBO, where representatives from the government-owned purveyor of spirits and wine joined forces with NorWest Community Health Centre to create awareness with customers about the dangers of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
According to Anita Jean, the manager of health and social programs at the health centre, said the consequences of drinking while pregnant can be serious.
While there are no guarantees infants in the womb will be affected, those that are often suffer lifelong disabilities, including a lack of attention span, trouble communicating or remembering things, doing math or controlling their behaviour.
It’s not worth the risk, Jean said, encouraging anyone who is pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant – or with friends or family in the same spot – to consider giving up booze altogether until after the baby is born.
“It’s a personal disability which you never outgrow,” said Jean, adding numbers appear to be on the rise.
“Things like very low birth weight, physical issues with the child, permanent brain damage and not being able to understand consequences, needing to have thing told to you over and over, not being able to hold a job or go to school.”
In years gone by, about 0.9 per cent of babies born were diagnosed with FASD,” Jean said.
“Now we’re estimating 2 to 2.5 per cent, nearly a three-fold increase. However, it’s difficult to track the numbers and even more to track those diagnosed with the affliction.
“It’s probably more,” she said, noting that Northwestern Ontario typically experiences higher rates of alcohol use and abuse.
Phil Aune, district manager for the LCBO in the Northern Region, said they’ve supported the FASD awareness campaign for the past five years.
It’s a good cause, he said.
“We’re all about social responsibility within the community. To make a better community is what we want to be a part of,” he said.
For more information, phone 622-8235.
