Story last updated at 5/2/2012 - 1:02 pm
Governor Sean Parnell has signed Senate Bill 127 - http://bit.ly/Ixxygl - into law. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, establishes Sept. 9 annually as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. Recognized internationally, FASD Awareness Day highlights the importance of raising awareness about the consequences of drinking during pregnancy.
Sept. 9 is significant because it is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, and serves as a good reminder for expectant mothers to stop drinking for the nine months of pregnancy.
"Alaska has the highest known incidence of FASD in the United States and the most frustrating thing is that this condition is 100 percent preventable," said Meyer. "Fetuses who are exposed to alcohol in the womb can suffer from brain damage, birth defects, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and most tragically, the loss of individual potential."
Raising awareness of FASD not only helps women understand the risks of drinking to their unborn baby, it can also have an impact on the treatment of toddlers and children diagnosed with the condition.
Meyer worked closely with the Alaska FASD Partnership to develop legislation addressing this critical issue in Alaska, including designating FASD Awareness Day and allowing judges to consider FASD as a mitigating factor when sentencing individuals, which also passed the Legislature earlier this month. The Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education, Arctic FASD Regional Training Center, and the Advisory Board on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse wrote letters in support of SB 127.
"As many as 180 children are reported to the Alaska Birth Defects Registry each year with a suspected FASD," said Meyer.
For more information, contact Meyer or Christine Marasigan at (907) 465-4945.