Governor Proclaims Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month 2022

WHEREAS, human service organizations, health care professionals, educators, families, and the public are called to work together to prevent and reduce the occurrence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) by increasing awareness of the importance of avoiding consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, understanding how the disorder may present in individuals across their lifespans, and recognizing the ongoing need for services and support for individuals living with FASD; and

WHEREAS, FASD describes the range of effects that can occur in an individual who was exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) being the most recognizable condition along the spectrum; and

WHEREAS, studies that include research data from North Carolina estimate that there may be up to 1 in 20 school children in the United States who have an FASD; children with a diagnosed FASD can incur up to nine times more healthcare costs than a child without an FASD; and

WHEREAS, in North Carolina, 56 percent of women drank alcohol before becoming pregnant, and up to 14 percent continued drinking during pregnancy, resulting in an estimated 19,600, or 17 percent, of babies born in North Carolina with alcohol exposure; and

WHEREAS, the good health and well-being of the people of North Carolina are enhanced by the support of state and national efforts to educate about FASD, which is 100 percent preventable by complete abstinence from alcohol use during pregnancy, because there is no known safe level of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy; and

WHEREAS, the NC Fetal Alcohol Prevention Program/Proof Alliance NC joins with the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as many dedicated volunteers, healthcare professionals, educators and parent groups, and families to raise awareness of FASD;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September, 2022, as “FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.