SCR 13: Urging the governor to establish and support programs designed to eradicate the occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder from the state.
00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13 01 Urging the governor to establish and support programs designed to eradicate the 02 occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder from the state. 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorder permanently alters a child's cognitive 05 abilities; and 06 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorder has been identified as a pervasive and 07 chronic driver of numerous social challenges throughout the state; and 08 WHEREAS the occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the state is 09 preventable; and 10 WHEREAS each child born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder costs the state as 11 much as $4,200,000 during the child's lifetime; and 12 WHEREAS Alaska has the highest documented prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum 13 disorders in the United States; and 14 WHEREAS, according to the Alaska Maternal and Child Health Data Book, the 15 overall prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the state is 112.9 for each 10,000 live 16 births; and
01 WHEREAS, while the state currently maintains high quality screening for fetal 02 alcohol spectrum disorder, further advancement in rapid assessment and neo-natal screening 03 capability is needed; and 04 WHEREAS, in 2012, the legislature passed legislation making the existence of fetal 05 alcohol spectrum disorder a mitigating factor for criminal sentencing; and 06 WHEREAS using fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a mitigating factor at criminal 07 sentencing is currently being hindered by the lack of available, effective, and timely fetal 08 alcohol spectrum disorder screening within the Department of Corrections; and 09 WHEREAS misconceptions continue to exist regarding the causal factors and lifelong 10 effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and 11 WHEREAS, according to research conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental 12 Health Service Administration, 90 percent of women stop drinking once they learn they are 13 pregnant; and 14 WHEREAS, because the highest risk of fetal exposure to alcohol occurs during the 15 time between conception and knowledge of the pregnancy, it is critical that a woman learns 16 that she is pregnant as early as possible in the gestational period; and 17 WHEREAS the state presently lacks sufficient residential substance abuse treatment 18 services focusing on women who are pregnant and experiencing alcohol or drug addiction, or 19 both; and 20 WHEREAS the occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the state can be 21 eradicated through focused efforts and effective collaboration; 22 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the governor to establish 23 and to support programs designed to eradicate the occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum 24 disorder from the state; and be it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports a strong public 26 awareness campaign designed to inform, move, and motivate state residents in an effort to 27 prevent the occurrence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the state; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports programs that 29 will minimize the risk of fetal exposure to alcohol; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the governor 31 to increase the capability of rapid screening for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder within the
01 Department of Corrections and the Department of Health and Social Services; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the governor 03 to take actions to expand residential substance abuse treatment services in the state for women 04 who are pregnant and concurrently experiencing alcohol and drug addiction challenges, 05 including exploring appropriate partnerships to prioritize the admission of pregnant women 06 into homes operated by the Indian Health Services for the care of women.