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United States Senator Lisa Murkowski
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September 9, 2006 - Anchorage
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show my appreciation to everyone affiliated with the Stone Soup Group for the work you have done to end fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. I regret that I cannot be there in person, but Senate business is keeping me in Washington, D.C.
As the ninth day of the ninth month approaches, a day designated as International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Awareness Day, it is imperative that we continue to spread the word that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume during the nine months of pregnancy. By continuing to raise awareness, we can hopefully minimize the harm that drinking during pregnancy causes our most vulnerable population - - our children.
In February of 1999, a small group of parents, raising children afflicted with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, set out to change the world. That small group started a support group which quickly became a worldwide grassroots movement to observe September 9th as International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. This year, for the eighth consecutive year, events are occurring in cities and towns not just across the country, but around the world. I’m proud that the Anchorage is one of those communities.
As we all know, FASD is 100% preventable, yet it remains a leading cause of non-hereditary mental retardation in the U.S. Many children affected by maternal drinking during pregnancy have irreversible conditions - - including severe brain damage - - that cause permanent, lifelong disability.
Every year in America, an estimated one in every 100 babies born are born with FASD - - that’s 40,000 infants! FASD affects more children than Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida and Muscular Dystrophy combined.
In Alaska, we sadly continue to have the highest rate of FASD in the nation. Approximately 163 Alaskan babies are born each year affected by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. Among our Native communities, the rate of FASD can be 15 times higher than non-Native areas in the state.
Despite these troubling figures, FASD is still widely under diagnosed, misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Diagnosis is critical because many persons with FASD can overcome learning and behavioral problems and succeed, but only with appropriate health, social and educational resources.
The cost of FASD is high - - more than $3 billion each year in direct health care costs. The indirect financial and social costs are also great - - including the cost of specialized healthcare, education, job training and general support services.
That is why prevention is so imperative. Prevention of FASD is seven-times more cost effective than treating the disorder. But more importantly, abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy will save a family a lifetime of heartache, and will prevent the greatest loss of all – that of human potential.
Senator Tim Johnson and I have introduced the “Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act.” Our bill will develop targeted state and community-based outreach programs, and will improve current support services for families who are living with FASD. It will also improve coordination among Federal agencies involved in FASD treatment and research by establishing stronger communication with these programs. Lastly, it will strengthen educational outreach efforts to doctors, teachers, judges and others whose work puts them in contact with people with FASD.
I want to again thank each of you for all you do to end FASD. And, I also want to thank you for reminding everyone of all innocent babies inflicted with this disorder. On this day of awareness, let us imagine the potential that these babies could have been but for the damage done by alcohol.
Thank you.
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