03/28/2000 03:11 PM House HES

SCR 15 - ALCOHOL-RELATED BIRTH DEFECTS AWARENESS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0978                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN  DYSON announced  the next  order of  business as  Senate                                                              
Concurrent Resolution  No. 15,  Relating to Alcohol-Related  Birth                                                              
Defects Awareness Weeks.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0991                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
HOLLY  HEMMING,  Intern  for Senator  Georgianna  Lincoln,  Alaska                                                              
State Legislature,  came forward  to present SCR  15 on  behalf of                                                              
the sponsor.   She said  Fetal Alcohol  Syndrome (FAS)  is totally                                                              
preventable, and it  is the number one cause of  birth defects and                                                              
mental retardation.   It costs the state between  $1.4 million and                                                              
$3 million per  FAS child during his/her lifetime.   Approximately                                                              
ten  FAS children  are  born  in Alaska  every  year;  if that  is                                                              
multiplied by  40, it is estimated  that at least 400  people with                                                              
FAS live  in Alaska, and  that will cost  the state at  least $560                                                              
million a year.  People with Fetal  Alcohol Effects (FAE) may lack                                                              
the physical  appearance of  FAS, but damage  to the brain  can be                                                              
just as serious.   The weeks of Mother's Day and  Father's Day are                                                              
very appropriate  dates to  recognize the role  of parents  in FAS                                                              
and FAE birth defects.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS. HEMMING encouraged the committee  members to read the material                                                              
in their packets - especially the  list of in utero alcohol damage                                                              
that  affects  people with  FAS/FAE.    This resolution  has  been                                                              
introduced as far back as 1994, and it has been passed annually.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 1128                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GEORGIANNA   LINCOLN,  Alaska  State   Legislature,  came                                                              
forward as the  prime sponsor of SCR  15.  She said it  is a shame                                                              
that  every  year  there  is just  a  resolution  recognizing  the                                                              
importance of   Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal  Alcohol Effects.                                                              
It  is growing  across the  state and  is very  expensive for  the                                                              
state monetarily  and socially.   This is  just a small  effort to                                                              
recognize the  immensity of the problem  and a small  step forward                                                              
for the rest of the state to recognize the total problem.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KEMPLEN   asked  Senator  Lincoln   what  type  of                                                              
policies the  legislature should  be looking at.   He  wondered if                                                              
alcohol consumption should be criminalized for pregnant women.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LINCOLN   noted  that   when  she   first  came   to  the                                                              
legislature, that  was exactly what she started  looking into, but                                                              
this is  an extremely complex issue.   She cited  various problems                                                              
with  criminalizing it  such as  an  obese woman  being refused  a                                                              
drink in  a bar because  the bartender  thought she was  pregnant,                                                              
and the  woman could  sue; another  woman could  have a  third FAS                                                              
child and  be incarcerated,  and  what would happen  to the  other                                                              
children  left  at home?    The  greatest  benefit is  to  address                                                              
prevention  and  intervention.   She  believes there  hasn't  been                                                              
enough done in the area of prevention, but it takes money.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 1311                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN DYSON  pointed out there  is a statewide  coordinator for                                                              
FAS  now.   United  States  Senator  Ted  Stevens has  obtained  a                                                              
significant amount of  money to help Alaska get the  word out, and                                                              
there are now diagnostic teams available to travel the state.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked Senator  Lincoln what would be the best                                                              
way for the state to get to the people.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LINCOLN reiterated that it  is such a complex problem.  It                                                              
is the "chicken or the egg," and  she doesn't know where to start.                                                              
In a conversation  recently with  some leaders, she said  it boils                                                              
down to people  being busy and occupied and feeling  like they are                                                              
contributing to society.   It is something that takes  more than a                                                              
resolution;  it  takes  more  than   a  few  dollars.    A  common                                                              
denominator  needs to  be  found where  the  process could  begin.                                                              
Part of  the problem is  when people  don't have jobs,  don't feel                                                              
that they  are contributing  to the community  or society,  or are                                                              
depressed  about a  number of  things, and  there is  no help  for                                                              
them.  It is a whole roster of things.   She is committed to going                                                              
beyond a resolution  and knows the committee is  committed if they                                                              
could just get their hands around  this.  She commented that it is                                                              
not  just a  problem in  Alaska.   She was  in Vancouver,  British                                                              
Columbia, when  800 balloons were  released for the 800  FAS cases                                                              
there.  The public  needs to be made more aware  of this very real                                                              
problem.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 1526                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GREEN  made  a  motion  to  move  SCR  15  out  of                                                              
committee with  individual recommendations  and zero  fiscal note.                                                              
There being  no objection,  SCR 15  moved from  the House  Health,                                                              
Education and Social Services Standing Committee.