Senate Approves Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day Resolution
On July 31, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 285) designating September 9, 2007 as “National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day.”
The resolution made a number of findings, including:
the term ‘fetal alcohol spectrum disorders’ includes a broader range of conditions and therefore has replaced the term ‘fetal alcohol syndrome’ as the umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy;
fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the leading cause of cognitive disability in western civilization, including the United States, and are 100 percent preventable;
fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a major cause of numerous social disorders, including learning disabilities, school failure, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, unemployment, mental illness, and crime;
the incidence rate of fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated at one out of 500 live births and the incidence rate of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated at one out of every 100 live births; and
on the ninth day of the ninth month of each year since 1999, communities around the world have observed International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day.S. Res. 285 encourages citizens of the United States to observe “National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day” on September 9, 2007, in order to promote awareness of the dangers of consuming alcohol during the nine months of pregnancy.
