[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 13 (Thursday, February 10, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 10, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          COMPREHENSIVE FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME PREVENTION ACT

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I rise today to announce my support and 
cosponsorship of the Comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention 
Act.
  Fetal alcohol syndrome, known as FAS, is a devastating, incurable 
condition that affects the children of mothers who drink alcohol during 
pregnancy. These children have a wide range of problems from low birth 
weight, hyperactivity and mental retardation to organ dysfunction and 
life threatening seizures.
  Fetal alcohol effect, [FAE], is a related disorder with similar but 
less severe problems than individuals with FAS.
  The Center for Disease Control estimates that more than 8,000 
alcohol-damaged babies are born each year. These numbers make FAS the 
leading cause of mental retardation at birth in this country. The 
effects of FAS and FAE never go away. There is no treatment or cure for 
this birth defect. Some studies, in fact, indicate 1 out of 50,000 
babies in the United States are born with either FAS or FAE.
  In Indian country, incidence of FAS and FAE is much higher. 
Approximately 1 in 99 American Indians are born with FAS. This means 1 
in 99 Indian children will be denied the opportunity to learn and grow 
as they should. They will be denied the opportunity to live their lives 
with healthy bodies and independent spirits, and this Nation will be 
denied their contributions to society. Often they must be 
institutionalized for life, costing taxpayers over $1\1/2\ million per 
child during its life.
  I am sorry to report that the devastating effects of fetal alcohol 
syndrome is more pervasive in some communities than others.
  On the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, as an example, one in 
four children is born to a woman who consumed alcohol during her 
pregnancy. These innocent children will never have the opportunities of 
a healthy mind and body that most of us take for granted.
  The interesting part of this is this condition is 100 percent 
preventable. It does not have to happen at all. Mothers who abstain 
from alcohol during pregnancy will not have a child with FAS or FAE. 
Therefore, the message is simple: If you are pregnant, protect your 
baby and do not drink alcohol.
  Of mothers who bear one alcohol-afflicted child, at least a quarter 
of those children will produce other FAS or FAE children. And a 
majority of these children end up in foster care, because their mother 
dies, is incapacitated or incapable of caring for her family.
  This cycle of family deterioration can and must be stopped, but only 
through serious education and prevention efforts. As some of my friends 
know, I came from a family devastated by alcoholism. If my mother had 
been the alcoholic rather than my father, I would suffer from FAS.
  A 1985 study found that nearly half of the U.S. population under the 
age of 45 had never heard of FAS. How can a mother who doesn't know the 
consequences of drinking alcohol take steps to protect her child?
  The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse estimated the cost 
of treatment for individuals with FAS in 1980 to be nearly $1.56 
million, as I mentioned. No doubt the figure is higher today. But we 
can eliminate fetal alcohol syndrome and effects, and the financial and 
social costs that go with it.
  The Comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Act would 
establish a comprehensive program to prevent further incidence of FAS 
and FAE. It would coordinate and support national public awareness, 
prevention and education programs on FAS and FAE.
  It would coordinate and support FAS/FAE research; distribute FAS and 
FAE diagnostic information to health care and social service providers.
  And it would foster coordination among all Federal agencies that 
conduct or support FAS and FAE research.
  I applaud the efforts of my colleagues Senator Tom Daschle, Senator 
Jeff Bingaman, Congressman Bill Richardson and Congressman Joe Kennedy, 
and many others in their efforts to educate the public about the perils 
of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
  Passage of this legislation will put us one step closer to 
eliminating this dread disease. I urge each of my colleagues to join us 
in supporting this legislation.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair notes, under an amended 
order, the Republican side has 10 additional minutes before we come 
back to the Democratic side. The Senator from Washington is recognized.

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