GC28 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (1980F214)

WHEREAS we are concerned about the effect of alcohol on unborn babies, specifically:

• a complex of growth deficiencies,
• physical malformation,
• mental retardation

known as the fetal alcohol syndrome; and

WHEREAS fetal alcohol syndrome is preventable and we believe that most expectant mothers would limit their use of alcohol if they realized the threat to their babies:

THEREFORE General Council requests the federal government, through the Minister of Health and the Minister of Consumer Affairs and the provincial governments through the appropriate ministers, to take steps to add a warning on all alcoholic beverage bottles of the potential danger of alcohol to unborn babies.

We further recommend that the church commend all federal and provincial health agencies for their efforts to alert the public to the dangers of alcohol in fetal alcohol syndrome and encourage them through physicians and pre-natal programs to continue to raise awareness of this threat to the health of unborn babies.

GC28 1980 ROP, p. 158, 750-751, 905