What can you do to make a difference on September 9th and every other day of the year?
What Can You Do?
- Spread the truth - Ensure everyone around you knows the real risks of drinking in pregnancy
- Have fun without alcohol – Start a trend – Have a “Mocktail Party”
- If you are a woman who drinks, or you have sex with women who drink, ensure you use reliable birth control every time you have sex to prevent an alcohol exposed pregnancy
- Find out about Canada’s Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines to decrease the risk of FASD, chronic disease and a potential addiction to alcohol
- Assess your own drinking habits at www.rethinkyourdrinking.ca
- www.thinkfasd.ca Drinking and Baby-Making Don't Mix
What Can Ontario Do To Decrease the Incidence of FASD?
- Ensure all health providers discuss the dangers of alcohol use in pregnancy with all people of childbearing age. With 50% of pregnancies unplanned waiting until pregnancy is too late.
- Ensure alcohol pricing increases as inflation increases. This decreases alcohol consumption.
- Advocate against the sale of alcohol in convenience stores. Provinces that sell alcohol in convenience and grocery stores have more problems and costs associated with alcohol.
- Ensure businesses who sell alcohol post a sign (it is the law) about the risks of alcohol & pregnancy
- Encourage more alcohol free events in communities and at universities and colleges
- Increase efforts in all educational institutions to warn all students about the dangers of drinking. Drinking increases the risk of future addictions, chronic diseases and alcohol use in pregnancy.
What Can You Do to Help Those Affected with FASD?
- Educate yourself about FASD and how it impacts your community in many areas such as: education; the criminal justice system; employment; and social services
- Talk to policy makers about the need to increase resources for prevention, diagnosis, intervention and appropriate education supports for children with FASD
- Talk to and offer support to a parent/caregiver supporting a child/adult with FASD. They are often isolated and judged.
- Ensure you use respectful and judgement free language. Check out this language guide
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