Enrolled HJR 31: Relating to designating September 9, 2006, as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day.
00Enrolled HJR 31 01 Relating to designating September 9, 2006, as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness 02 Day. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorders include a broad range of effects that can 06 result for a child born of a mother who drank alcohol during pregnancy; and 07 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are permanent birth defects that can 08 affect brain function, emotional and physical development, behavior, facial features, learning, 09 and sleeping; and 10 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the leading cause of mental 11 retardation in western civilization, including the United States, and are entirely preventable; 12 and 13 WHEREAS fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a major cause of numerous social 14 disorders, including learning disabilities, school failure, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, 15 unemployment, mental illness, and crime; and 16 WHEREAS the incidence rate of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated at one 17 out of 100 live births in the United States; and
01 WHEREAS more than 126 children are born in the state each year with fetal alcohol 02 spectrum disorders; and 03 WHEREAS Alaska ranks first in the United States, of the states with reliable and 04 available surveillance data, as having the highest number of children born with fetal alcohol 05 spectrum disorders; and 06 WHEREAS the economic cost of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in 2003 in the 07 United States has been estimated to be $5,400,000,000, and it is estimated that each individual 08 with fetal alcohol syndrome will cost United States taxpayers between $1,500,000 and 09 $3,000,000 over the course of the individual's lifetime; and 10 WHEREAS it is in the best interest of the public to eliminate the occurrence of fetal 11 alcohol spectrum disorders in children born in the state by using all appropriate means; and 12 WHEREAS it is in the best interest of the public to support education and early 13 diagnosis and treatment programs related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders for families 14 residing in the state; and 15 WHEREAS the first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day was 16 observed on September 9, 1999; and 17 WHEREAS Bonnie Buxton of Toronto, Canada, the co-founder of the first 18 International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day, asked "What if . . . a world full of 19 FAS/E [Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Effects] parents all got together on the ninth hour of the 20 ninth day of the ninth month of the year and asked the world to remember that during the nine 21 months of pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol . . . would the rest of the world 22 listen?"; and 23 WHEREAS, on the ninth day of the ninth month of each year since 1999, 24 communities around the world have observed International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 25 Awareness Day; 26 BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that September 9, 2006, be 27 designated as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the people of the state observe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum 29 Disorders Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies to promote awareness of the effects of 30 prenatal exposure to alcohol, increase compassion for individuals affected by prenatal 31 exposure to alcohol, minimize further effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol, and ensure
01 healthier communities across the state; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the people of the state observe a moment of reflection 03 on the ninth hour of September 9, 2006, to remember that during the nine months of 04 pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol. 05 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Karleen Jackson, 06 Commissioner, Department of Health and Social Services; Kevin C. Ritchie, Executive 07 Director, Alaska Municipal League; Denise Michels, President, Alaska Conference of 08 Mayors; David Talericho, President, Alaska Municipal League Board of Directors; Mary 09 Becker, President, Association of Alaska School Boards; Carl Rose, Executive Director, 10 Association of Alaska School Boards; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa 11 Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of 12 the Alaska delegation in Congress.