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Awareness Day 2008
FASD Awareness Day 2008
September 9, 2008 is the tenth annual FASD Awareness Day. The purpose of FASD Awareness
Day is to increase awareness of the importance of FASD as a public health issue
in terms of both prevention of the birth of children prenatally exposed to alcohol
and treatment for individuals living with an FASD and their families. These goals
support the ultimate objective of SAMHSA’s FASD Center for Excellence (the
Center): To decrease the incidence of FASD and improve the quality of life among
individuals and families who have been effected by FASD.
In many locations, FASD awareness events are held at 9:09am on 9/9: This is the
9th minute of the 9th hour of the 9th day of the 9th month of the year, and is used
to remind women not to drink during the 9 months of pregnancy. To reinforce this
critical message, the Center will spotlight FASD Awareness Day throughout the month
of September.
FASD Around the World
FASD Around the World examines the global nature of FASD; that it doesn't just happen
in a few countries, but all around the world. At the same time, there is tremendous
work being done across the globe to decrease the incidence of FASD and to develop
services and supports for individuals with an FASD and their families. As FASD is
a world-wide issue, true progress within the field requires sharing this information
and the lessons that others have learned. As a lead agency in the implementation
of FASD prevention and treatment, SAMHSA seeks to be aware of current global efforts,
and to share those efforts with consumers, care providers, researchers, and policymakers
here and abroad.
We invite you to click on the various countries above and learn more about what
the U.S. and others are doing in the battle to reduce the incidence of FASD and
improve the quality of life of those living with FASD. We've also provided a selected bibliography from the most recent FASD
and alcohol-related research. While the countries above are not the only places
in the world where progress is being made in the field of FASD, they represent some
of the most promising and advanced efforts in the areas of awareness, prevention,
research, and intervention. If you know of noteworthy initiatives going on in other
countries, please contact
the Center and share that information with us.
In the global fight to address FASD, we not only can but should learn from each
other. That’s what FASD Awareness Day and FASD Around the World are all about.