Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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September 09, 2019
WHEREAS, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders describe a wide range of birth defects and permanent disabilities caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy; and,
WHEREAS, key features of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders can include lifelong physical, intellectual, social, and behavioral disabilities; and,
WHEREAS, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should abstain from drinking alcohol; and,
WHEREAS, prevention of prenatal alcohol exposure, early screening, intervention, and treatment for affected individuals are critical for healthy infants, healthy mothers, and healthy families in Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, the U. S. Surgeon General recommends there is no safe amount of alcohol at any time during pregnancy, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100 percent preventable by avoiding alcohol entirely during pregnancy and are in fact the only preventable form of intellectual disability; and,
WHEREAS, in 2017, an estimated 59.1 percent of women of reproductive age in Michigan, aged 18-44 years, reported one or more drinks of alcohol during the last 30 days, and 20.6 percent of Michigan women, aged 18-44 years, reported drinking four or more drinks of alcohol on any one occasion during the last 30 days, according to the Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey; and,
WHEREAS, recent studies show that between two to five percent of elementary school children have been prenatally exposed to alcohol, and up to 70 percent of children in foster care have a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; and,
WHEREAS, on this day, we join with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders throughout the state of Michigan and to urge residents to learn more about the hazards of consuming alcohol at any time during pregnancy as well as the benefits of early screening and intervention to promote maternal, infant, and family health;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan do hereby proclaim September 9, 2019 as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day in Michigan.