American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Initiative

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Make Your Community Stronger:

How You Can Promote Alcohol-Free Pregnancy

Communities are safe and supportive places where people know and

care about their neighbors. They are where people raise their

families, work, play, shop, go to school, and share traditions. The

community has always been central to the lives of American Indians,

Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Historically, members of Native

communities have hunted and fished together, celebrated and mourned

together, and worked together to maintain a good quality of life for their

people.

This information sheet helps to define “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders”

(FASD) and provides strategies that community members can use to

help prevent FASD.

What Is FASD?

“FASD” is a term that describes a range of lifelong effects that can occur

in someone whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Children

whose mothers drank during pregnancy may need surgeries to fix

physical problems. They may also have brain damage that can make it

hard to remember things or solve problems. They may not be able to

follow simple instructions or form friendships. These challenges may

make it difficult to focus in school or follow everyday routines. Children

with an FASD may require ongoing medical attention and special

programs and schools. The impact of these additional services can strain

family and community resources. Every year, at least 40,000 babies are

born with an FASD.*

Facts To Remember and Share

The following are important facts to remember and share about FASD

and drinking alcohol during pregnancy:

❖ FASD is permanent. It cannot be cured.

❖ FASD is 100 percent preventable. If a woman doesn’t drink when

she’s pregnant, her baby will not have an FASD.
❖ There is no known safe time, safe amount, or safe type of alcohol to

drink while pregnant. Beer and wine are just as harmful as hard liquor.

❖ If a pregnant woman stops drinking as soon as possible, she can

improve her chances of having a healthy baby.

Strategies

Communities can strengthen themselves by working together to stop

FASD. Here are some general strategies that can help get the word out

about FASD, make you a better neighbor, and strengthen your

community.

❖ Start with yourself. If you are a woman and are pregnant or may

become pregnant, take the healthy path and do not drink alcohol.

There is no “safe” amount of alcohol that can be drunk during

pregnancy. Drinking while nursing can also harm a baby’s health.

❖ Remember that pregnancy is a sacred time. Help the pregnant

women in your life engage in healthy, alcohol-free activities during

pregnancy.

❖ Information is power. Approach educators, school officials, health

care providers, and staff at social service agencies about giving

information out on drinking and FASD. Read up on FASD in this

resource kit, on the computer, or at the library. Share the information

with friends and family members.

❖ Support and encourage alcohol-free community activities.

Organize cultural activities and events that are alcohol free.

❖ Lead by example. If you are a community leader or the spouse,

partner, relative, or friend of a pregnant woman, provide sober

leadership, support, and/or friendship.

❖ Get the message out. Contact local officials about posting signs in

restaurants, bars, and other places that serve or sell alcohol to warn

people about the dangers of drinking when pregnant. (Visit the

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration FASD

Center for Excellence Web site, www.fasdcenter.samhsa.gov, for

printable materials ready for posting.)

❖ Get help. Help community members in need find alcohol-related

services, including meetings, clinics, and traditional healing methods.

❖ Share good news. Listen for and share good news and stories about

people—including yourself—who have overcome alcohol abuse and

had healthy babies.

2
Finding the best way to share information in your community is

important. Some American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian

groups have begun to use prevention strategies based on cultural

practices to increase awareness about the risks of drinking while

pregnant or nursing. The strategies emphasize traditional values, such as

the importance of families; the wisdom of elders; and a holistic view of

health, which includes physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Work

with members of your own community, such as leaders, elders, teachers,

friends, and neighbors, to get the right message to the right people.

Understanding and preventing FASD will help strengthen your

community and people. By caring about the health of future

generations, you will carry on your traditions and move your

community forward.

* May, P.A., and Gossage, J.P. 2001. Estimating the prevalence of fetal alcohol

syndrome: A summary. Alcohol Research & Health 25(3):159-167.

Pregnancy is Sacred

For more information, visit fasdcenter.samhsa.gov or call 866-STOPFAS.

www.stopalcoholabuse.gov

American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Initiative

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Make Your Community Stronger: How You Can Promote Alcohol-Free Pregnancy

(Strategies Continued)

DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 07-4264 3

Printed 2007