NW Peace FASD Network

Written by: Sarah Boesveld | May 15, 2015

Retrieved from: http://news.nationalpost.com/life/how-we-drink-from-how-much-to-how-often-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-canadians-boozy-habits

LESSON 1: THE VAST MAJORITY OF US DRINK

Roughly 80% of Canadians drink alcohol, the boozing majority swelling in size over the better part of a decade. Nearly 22 million Canadians reported throwing back booze in the year 2013, whether it be a tipple or a ton of Tanqueray. Studies show we’re also drinking more than we should: The percentage of Canadians exceeding the low-risk drinking guidelines set out by Canadian health agencies was 18.8% in 2013 compared to 17.6% a decade earlier.

In the year 2014, Canadians over age 15 downed 8 litres of pure booze, or 469 standard drinks. But while ubiquitous beer commercials and these kinds of stats make it seem like we’re on the bottle more than ever, drinkers in the 1989 and the mid-to late 80s actually drank more than we do…

This short documentary on FASD features several people associated with MOFAS, the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  The video was created as part of a collaboration called Call Me Mental, which is composed of artists and clinicians who want to change the attitude toward mental illness.  This video showcases the challenges of living with an FASD through the personal stories of Alex and Martin.

NEW STUDY REVEALS THAT SHAMING IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE STRATEGY

Commentary from Dr. Carolyn Phelps, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

Uh, yeah – no. There is no such study result. Which is really too bad if you think about it. Because we certainly act like there is study after study which supports that headline. The only thing that we seem to do quicker than shame others for their transgressions, is to judge them, typically with very little information. Sometimes, we even prefer to judge with…

alcohol.org.nzprovides information, advice, research and resources to help prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm and inspire New Zealanders to make better decisions about drinking alcohol.

Take a peak at their new awareness campaign! ‘Don’t know? Don’t drink’ encourages women to stop drinking alcohol if there is any chance they could be pregnant.

Alcohol can affect a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she is pregnant. There is no known safe amount and no known safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Advertising commenced on 14 June 2015 and continues until September 2015. It will primarily be seen in targeted online environments and in bar settings. A 30-second video has been developed that focuses on the moment a woman has to decide whether or not to drink, even though she might be pregnant. The audience for the campaign is young women aged 18 to 30 years who drink at moderate to risky levels.

Trauma is a near universal experience of individuals with behavioral health problems. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, 55% – 99% of women in substance use treatment and 85% – 95% of women in the public mental health system report a history of trauma, with the abuse most commonly having occurred in childhood.

An individual’s experience of trauma impacts every area of human functioning — physical, mental, behavioral, social, spiritual.

For a PDF version, just click! Trauma-infographic

Many women aren’t fully aware of the risks associated with drinking while pregnant, and the public needs more information on the symptoms and severity of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), according to experts who spoke at a congressional briefing.

FASD is more common than researchers had thought, George F. Koob, PhD, who directs the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said at the briefing on April 13, which was co-hosted by APA’s Science Directorate Government Relations Office. New research shows that FASD affects 2.4 percent to 4.8 percent of U.S. children when partial cases are included (Pediatrics, 2014). Though more research is needed, the institute has made some progress in treating the condition, including funding the development of a 3-D scanning technique that decodes changes in a child’s facial structure due to the disorder, helping doctors diagnose it.

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential since FASD is associated with…

After what seems like far too long, KnowFASD is back in operation! To those of you who use the site regularly and have been waiting for its return, thank you for your patience.

If you have never visited the site, please feel free to drop by and check it out! Take a browse through the interactive home page and learn more/find help on the site’s wiki.

Our goal with KnowFASD is to provide a comprehensive site where viewers can learn about the neurobehavioural deficits associated with FASD throughout the lifespan and link to intervention options.

The main homepage of the website is an interactive interface where viewers can scroll through the lifespan of individuals with FASD, with neurobehavioural issues at each developmental stage presented as they may appear in day-to-day life. By clicking on a neurobehavioural issue, viewers are directed to a “wiki” (which works in a…