From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Nov 1 09:25:52 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Nov 1 09:28:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Parents must face sober facts on binge drinking Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091101092539.100b7860@ncf.ca> "...For women is the added risk of sexual assaults, date rape and pregnancy...." [nothing about FASD] http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/post-secondary/article/717053--parents-must-face-sober-facts-on-binge-drinking parentcentral.ca Education - Post secondary STUDENT DRINKING Parents must face sober facts on binge drinking October 31, 2009 Susan Pigg LIVING REPORTER [Photo] ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO Beer pong is part of campus culture, and there's no longer a gender divide. "The girls are catching up to the guys," says psychologist David Wolfe. My husband and I are still punch drunk from all the prep work it took last month to get our 18-year-old son ready for his first year ? and Frosh Week ? at Queen's University. It wasn't so much the new laptop and mini-fridge gracing his back-to-school shopping list that caused us concern. It was the two cases of beer. And the fact he'd set himself a quota: He was aiming to celebrate his first week away from home by drinking eight beer a day. We thought it was just big talk from a budding engineer. But it turns out that two cases in a week is nothing these days. Binge drinking is so far past the tippling point on Canadian campuses, it's proving to be tough to turn off the taps, despite the fact many universities are imposing fines of up to $100 for underage or rowdy drinking, mandatory counselling around the health risks and, in rare cases, expulsion for repeated bad behaviour. And it's well on its way to being an equal-opportunity pursuit. "The girls are catching up to the guys," says David Wolfe, a London-based psychologist with CAMH, Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, who has applied for a research grant to look at the reasons why. Wolfe saw the phenomenon just last month when his daughter, a University of Toronto student, told him that friends wanted her to down 20 shots of liquor for her 20th birthday. He and his wife nixed the idea. "There's a lot of status and glory in being able to handle a drink as well as the boys and not be that sloppy girl who just cries and throws up everywhere," says a McGill University arts student who spent so much time playing beer pong and downing Old English malt during her first and second years, her mother is now paying her $100 a month not to drink. Carleton University's varsity women's soccer team was suspended from two games last month after a player became so drunk at a team party that she had to be rushed to hospital. Thunder Bay's Lakehead University last month set strict new limits on how much booze drinking-age residents can have in their rooms, resulting in a significant reduction in problem drinking, says Shannon Foster, residence life coordinator. The most famous crackdown was Queen's University's decision to cancel its annual homecoming festivities for this year and next, although last month's unofficial street party still attracted more than 3,000 people, cost $336,000 to police and resulted in 116 arrests and 312 tickets. "Young people have gotten the message about (the hazards of) drinking and driving but they still think it's okay to drink and walk ? and they think that means they can drink more," says Wolfe. The problem is much bigger south of the border where an estimated 1,500 college students a year die in alcohol-related incidents. A controversial group called the Amethyst Initiative, made up of about 100 U.S. college presidents, is pushing to have the drinking age reduced to 18, arguing that the current drinking age of 21 is encouraging binge drinking among students. The big fear is liability ? that students will die from alcohol poisoning, choking on their own vomit or alcohol-induced fighting. For women is the added risk of sexual assaults, date rape and pregnancy. Studies done by CAMH have shown that while heavy drug use has been declining on Canadian campuses, 32 per cent of university undergrads drink at levels considered hazardous or harmful. (Binge drinking refers to having more than five drinks for men and four or more for women in one sitting.) Of those students surveyed for the 2004 Canadian Campus Survey, 10 per cent experienced assaults and 14 per cent had unplanned sex. Almost 10 per cent reported alcohol-related sexual harassment. Some students say they try, at all costs, to take care of overly drunk friends. Any trip to an emergency ward will result in an almost automatic fine from the university which then appears on the students' online billing records for parents to potentially see. "Everyone I know has one night that they care not to remember ? at least one night," says Jonathan Scott, a second-year U of T arts and sciences student who spent last Sunday morning ? until 4:30 a.m. ? keeping an eye on a first-year resident who was dangerously drunk. "Someone had to be with him and I didn't think it should be seven drunk girls. "For the most part it's discouraged to make a nuisance of yourself but, if you do, there's always someone around to help you out." Educating college students about the dangers of booze is little deterrent to binge drinking, U.S. researchers have found. What works best, they say, is educating bar owners and liquor outlets about the risks of over-serving or not demanding proof of age. University officials find themselves in a difficult situation, trying to protect underage students on their own for the first time ? of the 3,912 students in residence at Queen's, for instance, six are just 16 and more than 200 are 17 ? yet recognize that others are cutting loose for the first time. More universities and student associations are organizing "dry" events in an effort to both cut binge drinking and include students who don't drink for religious or health reasons. The University of Alberta has two-hour peer education sessions called How to Party (And Live to Tell About It). And Lakehead's Foster holds a session for newcomers that is both lighthearted and deadly serious. At it he recounts how a Lakehead student left an off-campus bar two years ago, ended up on the highway and was run over by a transport truck. "It's trying to find a balance: You can't be the parent and tell university students what to do but you can talk about safety and security and try to teach them to be responsible adults," says Liz Leal-Conrad, director of residence life at Queen's. "By coming down really hard on them, you run the risk of driving it underground. The idea of them playing drinking games behind closed doors and then not having someone to help them out if something goes wrong.... "I don't think any of us want to run that risk." [] Parent warned not to enable I thought I was being smarter than my parents in being open with my kids about booze. We even converted our garage into a pool hall when our children were 17, 15 and 11 ? a safe house, of sorts ? figuring that, in time, the inevitable experimenting would best be done in our backyard rather than in a ravine or on some beach. But what is the line between being a parent and being permissive, especially if your child isn't quite legal drinking age? "You can't enable it at all by saying you're going to buy it," says David Wolfe, a London-based psychologist with CAMH, Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and the father of two university-aged children. "You have to be a parent. They need to hear where your line is and, if they're going to cross it, at least they know they're crossing it." You also have to consider the liability issue, he says. Fear of drug use may keep parents up at night but it's alcohol they should be worried about, Wolfe says. "It's the No. 1 abused drug and it's definitely much more accelerated than it used to be. It's all about getting plastered now. Beer is often just the opener." The pressure is even more intense when kids move away to go to school for the first time, Wolfe says. "School is considered a safe enclave and kids feel they can do whatever they want and there won't be consequences. They're...trying to make new friends and their new surroundings offer little resistance to overindulgence and irresponsibility." Rather than telling your kids what to do, let them know what you expect of them, Wolfe says. Let them know how proud you are and how you're always around if they need advice. Stress that "if you're doing something irresponsible, that's putting other people at risk, as well." Remind them there are consequences that, in some cases, can last a lifetime, and that schools have counsellors who can help if they feel things are getting out of control. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091101/f6e24186/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Nov 1 09:26:11 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Nov 1 09:28:22 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] B.C. elementary students locked in `safe rooms': child advocate Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091101092600.100b75d0@ncf.ca> "...most who have been sexually or physically abused or have a mental illness or FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome)..." B.C. elementary students locked in `safe rooms': child advocate. Kim Pemberton. CanWest News. Don Mills, Ont.: Oct 22, 2009. VANCOUVER - Three Vancouver elementary schools are isolating students in "safe" or "time-out" rooms when they consider the children to be a danger to themselves or others. The schools involved all have special classes for students with severe behavioural problems, the Vancouver Sun has learned. In one case a six-year-old foster child, with a history of past abuse, was regularly locked in a room described as a "closet" as a method of dealing with the child's outbursts. There are also four students in regular classes who have "exclusionary time- outs" on file at their schools. These agreements between parents and the schools allow staff to isolate these students as a "last-resort strategy" when their behaviour is considered unsafe. Vancouver School Board trustees only learned of the use of "time-out" or "safe" rooms after a child advocate for the six-year-old foster child raised the alarm and wanted to know if other schools were using this behavioural management method. Barb Laird's complaints about what happened to the child prompted a district-wide review of all schools. Of the 11 schools with special behavioural classes, three were using "time-out" or "safe" rooms. "It appals me these three rooms are being used," Laird said. "They are taking the weakest kids in the system, the most vulnerable students, most who have been sexually or physically abused or have a mental illness or FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), through no fault of their own, and they do this to them - lock them away. If you or I did that as parents, our kids would be taken away from us. It's abuse." Laird said the child was being forced to go into a "closet" almost every other day last year, against her foster parents' wishes. The child has since moved out of the province. Laird said the school never told the parents they were placing their child in the time-out room. And when the parents asked the school to stop, they were told the Ministry of Children and Families gave permission for its use. The school's principal, Andy Powell-Williams, confirmed the school does have a "safe" room, but declined to talk further about it, and said any questions about the matter must go through the school board's communications officer. Vancouver School Board chairwoman Patti Bacchus said until Laird raised the matter, she and others on the board were not aware these rooms existed in schools. "This is an issue I'm really concerned about," she said. "I would like to see the rooms no longer in use, but we're trying to address it in a way that is positive." Bacchus said staff are reviewing the matter and working with the schools involved to find alternative solutions for these extreme cases of students who behave badly. She added that, if the rooms are simply shut down with no viable alternatives in place, there is a danger of the child being kicked out of the school under a "medical exclusion" because she's deemed to be a threat to herself or others. The issue raises the question of how schools deal with children who have serious behavioural problems. The Ministry of Education leaves the matter in the hands of school districts, but offers guidelines for the use of time-outs. Catherine Remedios, the board's director of learning services, researched the issue for the district, and is now re-examining how to proceed. She said she believes that process must involve parents and staff at the schools. She told trustees some parents would consent to time-out rooms being used. "I have mixed feelings about the use of time-outs. I also have a responsibility to my staff to make sure they are safe. "It's also really important to engage the parents (of students who behave badly) in this discussion. I want to know the alternative. Are they willing to come and pick up their children if there is a violent episode?" Vancouver Sun kpemberton@vancouversun.com Credit: Kim Pemberton; Canwest News Service -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091101/e68f3565/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Nov 1 09:26:39 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Nov 1 09:28:24 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] La Salle helps women start a life free of fear: Edmonton Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091101092628.100b7340@ncf.ca> "...a variety of programs offered by Catholic Social Services, including those that help street youth, abused seniors and people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder..." La Salle helps women start a life free of fear; Second-stage facility leads former abuse victims to self-sufficiency Hanneke Brooymans. Edmonton Journal. Edmonton, Alta.: Oct 21, 2009. pg. B.3 Loretta was trapped. No matter how hard she tried to free herself and her children from her abusive partner, she always returned to him. Not that she wanted to. But once outside the doors of the emergency shelter she fled to, there was no one to help her transition to a life where she paid all the bills and shouldered all the responsibility. La Salle was a kind of salvation. This second-stage shelter takes in women and their children for up to a year, fixing their shattered self-esteem and giving them time to become self-sufficient. Loretta, who declined to give a last name, offered a rare smile when she recalls how she felt when she heard she had a spot at La Salle. "Oh my God, it was like this huge weight was lifted off my shoulders," said the woman, who has three children between the ages of three and 13. The shelter takes women with children from first-stage emergency shelters who want to permanently leave their abusive partners, but have nowhere else to live and no means of supporting themselves. La Salle was started by the Grey Nuns, but was adopted by Catholic Social Services earlier this year. It takes $360,000 each year to run the La Salle program, which has nine apartment suites in Edmonton at a secret, secure location. The women are asked to pay a modest rental fee, but almost half of the budget comes from the agency's annual fundraiser, which began on Tuesday. The Sign of Hope campaign aims to raise$2.42 million this year. The money is used to run a variety of programs offered by Catholic Social Services, including those that help street youth, abused seniors and people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The situation of abused women and children is especially dire this year, as the recession causes extra stress in many families, leading to more violence, said Marc Barylo, the agency's vice-president. In Alberta, there are only 124 second-stage apartments, while research suggests 496 to 730 apartments are needed, he added. The women who qualify for the La Salle program have all realized the violence isn't going to stop, are ready to move on and are committed to working on that, said Karen Reynolds, director of clinical services. The agency would eventually like to expand the program by another eight suites, which would likely add another $100,000 to program costs, Barylo said. Whether or not the agency is able to do that depends partly on how successful its Sign of Hope fundraising campaigns are. Last year, they raised about $200,000 above their goal. "I think we'll make it," said Bill Shields, campaign chairman, about this year's target. "It's going to be tougher. It's going to be harder. Businesses are experiencing some belt-tightening. Families are experiencing some belt-tightening. We are in a recession. "But with some due diligence and with some hard work, I'm pretty sure we will make our goal." Their success will make it possible for more women such as Loretta to make a successful transition to a life free of fear. In a few more months, Loretta and her children will move out of the La Salle shelter. She takes a deep breath when she thinks about it. But then she says, "I think as scary as it's going to be, I'm going to be strong enough to make it on my own. "The best part is I know I'm breaking the cycle. My boys will not grow up to hit women and my daughter won't grow up thinking it's OK." hbrooymans@thejournal.canwest.com Credit: Hanneke Brooymans; Edmonton Journal [Illustration] Photo: Candace Elliott, The Journal / Loretta and her three children have been residents of La Salle for six months, after fleeing from domestic violence. ;; Caption: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091101/afe8c7fa/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Nov 1 09:39:45 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Nov 1 09:46:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Feelings mixed about student drinking Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091101093936.100b6e20@ncf.ca> "...some potential long-term consequences of binge drinking include skin problems, stomach ulcers, vitamin deficiencies, decreased sperm production, erectile difficulties and liver, heart and circulatory problems...." [nothing about FASD or pregnancy] http://www.queensjournal.ca/story/2009-10-23/features/feelings-mixed-about-student-drinking/ The Journal Queen's University Kingston, Ontario Features October 23, 2009 Feelings mixed about student drinking Alcohol and university may be inseparable to many, but some students are opting out in the name of health, morality and productivity By Monica Heisey and Emily Davies, Journal Staff [2 Photos] The consequences of binge-drinking aren?t all immediate. (Christine Blais) According to a Sept. 2008 Health Counselling and Disability Services survey, 85 per cent of Queen?s students consume alcohol. (Tyler Ball) Like many university students, Justin Lum, ArtSci ?10, found his first year at Queen?s revolved heavily around the consumption of alcohol. ?Prior to coming to university, I never drank heavily. When I got here I sort of went on a binge,? he said, adding that he sometimes went out five nights in a week his first year. Lum said a combination of factors led to the decrease in his partying. He said he now consumes about 10 drinks per week. ?Realistically speaking, there?s just not enough time to socialize in the evenings. [Fourth year] is a different mentality all together. In first year I didn?t take school as seriously as I do now. I can?t deal with the repercussions of drinking too heavily,? he said. ?I?ve grown up, too. It?s not responsible for me to party four nights a week. I have other things to do now.? The desire to socialize and meet new people contributed to his drinking in first year, Lum said. ?In general I think drinking played a pretty important role in socializing in first year. It wasn?t the be-all, end-all, but it was helpful in meeting new friends and integrating yourself into the Queen?s lifestyle.? While it helped Lum feel more at ease, he said he doesn?t see abstaining from alcohol as a social hindrance. ?I don?t think that by not drinking students are compromising any potential to meet new friends, but initially it might be more difficult for them to integrate into that community. Especially at Queen?s, I think [drinking?s] pretty prevalent, but people aren?t going to be unfriendly just because someone doesn?t like to party.? Lum said drinking?s effects are much more apparent to him now. ?I never worried about it in first year. You think you?re invincible. Into second year I started to feel the physical repercussions of [drinking],? he said. ?My body was not used to that. It definitely is harmful. You can?t drink as much as I did and not expect some physical repercussions. Knowing that, I?ve tried to tone it down and get into a healthier lifestyle. I want to take care of my body. I definitely feel it now, and was it worth it? Not necessarily.? Eighty-five per cent of Queen?s students drink according to a Sept. 2008 online survey conducted by Health, Counseling and Disability Services. ?Low risk drinking is generally not harmful for the student,? HCDS director Mike Condra said. ?Our concern is with binge drinking?it?s the most harmful form of drinking. Changes in brain functioning are happening until at least 25. Binge drinking because it means in taking a large quantity of alcohol, it?s like a mini withdrawal, which is very damaging to the brain.? Condra said 48 per cent of those surveyed admitted to drinking five or more drinks at least once in the previous two weeks. ?One episode of binge-drinking could produce long-term consequences,? he said. ?Some of the consequences we?re talking about aren?t immediate, they?re more on the long term, so it?s harder for them to recognize.? Condra said some potential long-term consequences of binge drinking include skin problems, stomach ulcers, vitamin deficiencies, decreased sperm production, erectile difficulties and liver, heart and circulatory problems. ?Often we overlook the short-term consequences of binge drinking,? he said. ?Very often we don?t draw the connects between binge drinking and its consequences.? Condra said it can take as few as two drinks to affect someone?s decision-making skills. The HCDS survey found 36 per cent of student drinkers had done or said something they would later regret as a result of alcohol consumption, with 31 per cent saying they had experienced memory loss, 10 per cent experiencing injury and nine per cent having a sexual encounter they later regretted. ?Often when people binge drink, their judgment is seriously affected,? Condra said. Condra said alcohol serves no major risk to students if it?s consumed in moderation. In fact, there are low-risk drinking guidelines developed by the World Health Organization. These guidelines include not drinking everyday of the week, having no more than two drinks per session and having no more than nine drinks per week for women and 14 for men. ?Those people who follow those guidelines are less likely to encounter problems. Drinking is all about drinking responsibly. For example, having two drinks and then going into a car and driving is not responsible. So, it?s all about being responsible within the context that you are drinking.? Condra said alcohol?s social dimension leads the majority of university students to drink, despite an awareness of the risks involved. ?Our culture as a whole strongly encourages people to consume alcohol. Alcohol is widely advertised, it?s readily available to any over the age of 19. In the university culture, alcohol is directly associated with social gatherings.? Condra said there are potential academic benefits for students who chose not to drink. ?They certainly have an advantage compared to students who don?t binge drink, more ability to concentrate, more downtime,? he said. ?They?re simply more available to other things in life, in terms of academics and in terms of pursuit of other means of enjoyment.? Ryan Robinson, ArtSci ?10, counts himself among the 15 per cent minority who have chosen not to have alcohol factor into his time at Queen?s, having developed his non-drinking position prior to attending university. ?Strictly for a while, but that was more out of respect for my parents when I was still underage,? he said. ?I didn?t avoid alcohol entirely, but I also didn?t see any real benefit to it so didn?t go out of my way for it either.? Robinson said he?ll have the occasional drink, but has chosen to limit his consumption due to the health benefits associated with not drinking. ?I have nothing against a moderate amount, but if given a choice, I?d still rather drink something else.? Robinson said he doesn?t feel choosing not to drink has affected his social life. ?I know lots of people who drink little or none, and although it sounds clich? I believe we have just as much fun as anybody else,? he said. ?I?m still very socially-oriented, people-oriented, so often it is as simple as watching a movie at home or just talking and getting to know each other, but it?s not always consistent in terms of what I do, as long as its still drawing joy from spending time with those other people.? Lida Marasco, ArtSci ?10, said as a member of the Baha?i faith, she chooses to remain sober for religious reasons. ?We see alcohol as a cause of a lot of social problems. It?s not a positive influence on society,? she said. ?I?ve been asked not to drink alcohol whether it be within the family or society at large. It creates problems.? Marasco said alcohol?s psychological effects concern her. ?Personally, as an individual I see it as a mind-altering substance and don?t need it to have fun, I don?t need it to have fun or relax. I can do all those things and have a good time with people without doing something that may affect me that way.? Marasco said she doesn?t mind hanging out with people who drink, but she prefers to hang out with other non-drinkers?a category she estimates half of her friends fall under. ?I do have friends who drink and when we go out they?ll have a beer or something like that, but they?re not big drinkers. The other half don?t drink for various reasons,? she said. ?I just feel better to be around people who have a similar lifestyle as me, I feel more comfortable.? Marasco said she admits it can be isolating to be a university student who refrains from drinking. ?It?s hard because our culture revolves around alcohol,? she said. ?Sometimes it can be hard to do something differently and I?ve never had any issues with it. Most of my friends are understanding and considerate about my decision, so I?m lucky.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091101/c05c72f1/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Nov 1 09:59:23 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Nov 1 10:04:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] It is unethical for Canadian provinces to be selling alcohol Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091101095914.100b70b0@ncf.ca> "...Governments make a good case for not being in the tobacco business...." http://www.troymedia.com/?p=4141 Troy Media Corporation It is unethical for Canadian provinces to be selling alcohol October 26, 2009 By Shedon Schwartz Contributor Frontier Centre for Public Policy When most Canadians buy beer, wine or spirits from a provincial government liquor store, their attention is focused on what they buy, not on who sells it to them. Few think about why their provincial government is in the alcohol business. Perhaps they should. Since the early 20th century, provincial governments in Canada have been in the business of selling alcohol and, currently, every province except Alberta sells much of the alcohol through government-owned retail outlets. Those opposed to privatizing government retail outlets argue it would harm society by increasing crime, consumption and availability to minors while decreasing government revenues. Those in favour of privatization assert there would be no such detrimental effects. A different perspective is to review why provincial governments got into the alcohol business, and to ask whether it is appropriate public policy to continue that involvement. Established during the early 19th century, the temperance movement?s increasing power and popularity compelled the Liberal government of Sir Wilfrid Laurier to conduct a national referendum on prohibition. The result was a small overall plurality of fewer than 14,000 votes in favour, but with a large majority in Quebec voting against prohibition. Laurier chose discretion as the better part of political valour and did nothing. Laurier didn?t really need to act, since under the Canada Temperance Act of 1878, much of Canada already had elected to go ?dry? by municipal plebiscite. In the early 20th century, provinces began to introduce prohibition, beginning with Prince Edward Island (PEI) in 1900. By May 1919, when Quebec restricted the retail sale of alcohol to wine, beer and cider, all provinces had introduced some form of prohibition. Prohibition didn?t last long in Canada. During the 1920s most provinces repealed prohibition and began to sell alcohol through government stores. In 1948, PEI was the last province to go ?wet,? though some Canadian municipalities continued to be ?dry? under the Canada Temperance Act. Thus, provincial government involvement in selling alcohol originated from the decision by each province to roll back prohibition after World War I. Rolling back prohibition increased the availability, legal consumption and government revenues from alcohol, an addictive and harmful drug. Today governments spend billions of dollars each year on health care, social services and law enforcement to deal with alcohol?s harmful effects on individuals, families and communities. Governments make a good case for not being in the tobacco business. But it makes no more sense for a provincial government to sell alcohol than to sell tobacco, an addictive and harmful product that also absorbs billions of dollars a year in government spending dealing with its devastating effects. Constitutionally, provincial governments are responsible for health care. Accordingly, they should focus on reducing the individual, family and societal damage from alcohol and tobacco by discouraging, regulating and taxing these substances, and by educating the public about their risks. It is illogical and unethical for provincial governments to be in the alcohol business ? selling a product that often creates catastrophic and costly results to people, families and society. (Indeed, the same logic applies to provincial governments being in the gambling business.) When governments are in these businesses, they send a subliminal message to citizens that harmful and addictive substances and behaviours are OK ? as long as the government is your dealer. It?s not about ideology. It?s about ethics. It is no virtue to be in the business of vice. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091101/e6173261/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 2 21:23:06 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 2 21:28:08 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] We need strategies to teach children with mental, neurological conditions Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091102194626.034f22c0@ncf.ca> [Jill Bobula is co-author, with her sister Katharine, of the new book Forgetful Frankie] "...one in five children today are affected by a mental and/or neurological condition such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette Syndrome, autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, depression, learning disabilities, just to name a few...." www.canada.com 2 Nov 2009 Ottawa Citizen Letters We need strategies to teach children with mental, neurological conditions Re: Premier backs boys-only schools, Oct. 22. JILL BOBULA, Ottawa President, Ottawa Chapter Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada Kudos to the Toronto District School Board for recognizing that some children just don't learn the way others do. [Photo of Jill Bobula] CHRIS MIKULA, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Schools will continue to see a downward trend in academic performances so long as children's mental and neurological conditions are not urgently addressed by education authorities, writes Jill Bobula. To take it one step further, I suggest that the Ontario Ministry of Education and school boards across Canada begin to recognize that one in five children today are affected by a mental and/or neurological condition such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, Tourette Syndrome, autism, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, depression, learning disabilities, just to name a few. Many of these conditions affect more boys than girls. Schools will continue to see a downward trend in academic performance so long as the issue of children's mental and neurological conditions is not urgently addressed by the education ministry. Currently, there is no formal mandatory policy in place to address these issues (particularly at the elementary level). Educators don't even have the basic understanding of these conditions to begin to help these children succeed in the classroom. To make matters worse, educators are not given the skillset to work with these children in a way that allows the student to flourish based on their learning style or their condition. Living with one or more of these conditions undoubtedly effects how a child performs at school. Affected children are not always those who have special assistance in class or who have an individual education plan or identification placement review committee. Nor am I suggesting that these students be segregated from regular classrooms. Inclusivity is a healthy and effective classroom approach as long as teachers understand and know how to deal with affected children. Some of these children may not even be diagnosed for a number of reasons, but the fact remains that we have a large student population who is in dire need of help from the ministry and whose needs are not being addressed. Now is the perfect time to do away with the stigma, misperceptions, misunderstandings associated with children's mental and neurological conditions and give our children the basic education they so rightly deserve with respect and dignity. If the ministry is serious about increasing the literacy performance of their students, particularly boys, they should give serious thought to teaching their educators the very basics about human nature as it stands today. One way would be to have knowledgeable professionals teach educators in-depth facts for each condition along with already-proven specific teaching strategies for students with these conditions and various learning styles. This can be done both at teachers college for new educators and during professional development days for educators already in the field. Understanding, awareness, acceptance and tolerance need to become the cornerstones of the life and education we build for our children. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091102/678fd418/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 2 21:23:26 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 2 21:28:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Forgetful Frankie and We are Powerful book series Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091102212317.034e9018@ncf.ca> Jill Bobula, the author of the letter to the Ottawa Citizen "We need strategies to teach children with mental, neurological conditions" on Nov. 2, is co-author with her sister Katherine Bobula of the new book, Forgetful Frankie: the World's Greatest Rock Skipper: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Wildberry Productions, 2009. The book is part of the book series We are Powerful, which includes books about children with ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome (Autism), Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety, Dyslexia, and Depression. See www.wildberryproductions.ca Forgetful Frankie is an important book for children with FASD as well as for children in general. I highly recommend it. ER -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091102/c2471d26/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 11:39:19 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 11:40:17 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Research study on sensory-motor in children with FASD: Kingston Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109113907.03fadaa0@ncf.ca> [To get the attachment please email the researcher Lori Williams <8lmw2@queensu.ca>] Families with FASD affected children aged 5 - 20 are wanted to travel to Kingston, Ontario to be part of a research project. Queen's University, CNS Centre for Neurscience Studies, The Child Development Centre Developmental Studies of Multi-Joint Movement Coordination Principal Investigators: James Reynolds, Ph.D., Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University & Stephen Scott, Ph.D., Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Queen's University The purpose of this research is to investigate the development of coordination for multi-joint upper limb movements in children and youths diagnosed with FASD, 5 to 18 years of age. Specifically, we seek to better understand how motor commands are differently influenced by sensory information as a function of nervous system development, physical growth, and learning.... The researchers have asked that this request go out to families, groups, centres, listservs, etc. in Ontario! The researcher is available 7 days a week. Weekends are usually better for families. The age range has been extended: anywhere from 5 - 20 yrs. old They do require a diagnosis, or are likely to receive a diagnosis in the near future - suspected/expected/likely diagnosis. From: Lori Williams <8lmw2@queensu.ca> Subject: research study @ Queen's! This is Loriann, graduate student of Dr. James Reynolds. .... passing along to families the opportunity to participate in the research study I am conducting on sensory-motor function in children with FASD. Since the KINARM (the robot we use to test children/youth) is not transportable, we require families to travel to Kingston to participate. Families are usually more than happy to make the journey, though, because we cover all costs incurred. We cover gas to and from their home (or book and purchase train tickets); we cover meals for the parent and child; and if it is easier for the family to stay the night in Kingston, rather than making the lengthy trip back, we cover the costs of a hotel room for the family (which we also book, as well). I am hoping to recruit children/adolescents from everywhere and anywhere that are willing to travel, ages 5 - 20. ...Here is a little bit about my project: The child/adolescent will sit in the KINARM - essentially a robot - and will be wheeled into this virtual reality platform where they will perform two tasks: 1) a reaching task (where they can't see their arms or hands, but can see a white dot where their fingertip is located) and they must reach to different targets on the screen. 2) an arm position-matching task (where, again, they can't see their arms or hands), and the robot moves one arm and they have to match that location with their opposite arm (in a mirror fashion). 3) there is a just-for-fun ping pong game they can play after the two tasks. The entire study only takes between 45 min- an hour, with the adolescent sitting in the robot for only about 25 minutes total. The children will also be given a 10$ gift card for their participation! I've attached a more in-depth information form in this email that also has some great pictures that maybe you can send along to all of the families. Should anyone be interested, please have them contact me, Loriann Williams, at 8LMW2@queensu.ca! Thanks so much! Loriann -- Loriann Williams Master's Candidate Centre for Neuroscience Studies Queen's University email: 8LMW2@queensu.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/9a98c3ab/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 22:33:26 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 22:40:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Mental Health & Addictions Oct. 21 Sheila Burns Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109223317.04327f70@ncf.ca> http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2009-10-21&ParlCommID=8915&BillID=&Business=Mental+Health+and+Addictions+Strategy&DocumentID=24436#P241_51396 Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Committees. Committee Transcripts: Comit? de s?lection des d?put?s pour les comit?s permanents - October 21, 2009 - Mental Health and Addictions Strategy [Hearings in Toronto] Mental Health and Addictions Strategy 21-OCT-2009_MH022.htm FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS STAKEHOLDERS FOR ONTARIO The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Our next speaker today is from the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Stakeholders for Ontario: Sheila Burns, the chair, and Valerie Temple, the lead with the diagnostic working group. If you'd like to come forward, make yourselves comfortable. I think you were here at the start of the meeting, so you know what the rules are. Ms. Sheila Burns: We do. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): The time is all yours. Ms. Sheila Burns: Hi. It's a pleasure to be here, and an honour to speak to the committee today to identify issues and opportunities that can address some of the systemic challenges associated with mental health and addictions in Ontario. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): I'm assuming you're Sheila, are you? Ms. Sheila Burns: I am. My name is on the next line. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): If you would just identify yourself for Hansard, these folks have to get down everything you say, and then perhaps, Valerie, when you start speaking you could identify yourself too. Dr. Valerie Temple: I will indeed. Ms. Sheila Burns: My name is Sheila Burns, and I chair the FASD Stakeholders for Ontario, a volunteer collaborative of researchers, agency staff, specialists and parents who are advancing awareness regarding the needs of individuals with FASD and addressing the prevention issues for this neurological disorder. We focus on five areas, including diagnostic capacity, justice issues, prevention, intervention and support, and urban aboriginal. Our aim is to inform the government and the service sector about FASD so service provision can begin to more effectively accommodate those living with the disability. Dr. Valerie Temple: Good afternoon. My name is Valerie Temple. I'm a psychologist. I'm also the co-lead on the Ontario stakeholders' diagnostic working group and I'm the clinical lead of the Surrey Place Centre adult diagnostic clinic. Our Surrey Place clinic is the first clinic in Ontario that's focusing specifically on diagnosis and intervention for adults. I am aware that others have made presentations to the committee regarding FASD and its impact. I don't want to duplicate their presentations, but a quick recap: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a disability caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcohol primarily impacts fetal brain development by causing cell death, dehydration and impairment in multiple areas of the brain. The degree of impairment depends on dosage, timing, and maternal and fetal factors. FASD occurs in 1% of the population, according to Health Canada, meaning it affects approximately 130,000 Ontarians. You have heard that individuals with FASD are heavy users of services in Ontario, with high rates of mental illness, addictions, school failure, homelessness, unemployment, conflict with the law and having children they cannot care for. The rates of failure are not intrinsic to the disability but reflect the absence of care that individuals require. Our lack of knowledge of FASD has not been benign. It has resulted in some of the trauma that underlies the exceptionally poor outcomes. It is exacerbated by the fact that few, if any, services are set up to accommodate the addiction and mental health treatment needs of this highly vulnerable population. Yet there is no plan to address this underlying disability that implicates so many services in Ontario. We know that there are high rates of mental illness in youth with FASD, and studies indicate that at least one quarter of youth in custody have the disability. Two studies, one cited to this committee by Judy Kay from Sioux Lookout, and another by the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, show that more than 50% of crown wards have FASD or prenatal alcohol exposure and the behaviour phenotype indicating the disability. These studies reflect other findings that indicate that 80% of children with FASD are not raised by their biological parents. 1700 This year's Ministry of Community and Youth Services' Results-based Plan Briefing Book shows that more than $500 million were invested in mental health services, allocated to 260 agencies and 17 hospital programs. In spite of this investment, 25% of the children didn't show improved functioning at exit. The report also highlights recidivism rates for youth in trouble with the law. While there will be a review of practices, the current system offers 69% and 35% recidivism rates for youth in closed custody and community-based programs, respectively. Without examining the role of brain-based impairments and problematic behaviour within these service delivery systems, we will invest funds in programs that are ineffective for at least one quarter of children and youth in crisis. I suggest that captured in the failure rates are the children with FASD. We are missing a critical opportunity in addressing the special needs of these troubled children. We are missing a vital opportunity to assess and then provide supports that can best meet their developmental, learning and social challenges. We are also failing to provide the information, training and support to adoptive, foster and kinship families. You have heard from parents who have struggled to find the genesis of their children's challenges and then programs to meet their needs. You have heard from service providers who are struggling under the weight of growing demands for service and the need for funding. You have heard about small FASD initiatives that are trying to bridge the gap to bring information to community services so they are more effective. We know that we can prevent some of the mental health issues, substance use and poor outcomes associated with FASD. Research indicates that outcomes significantly improve with six factors: early diagnosis, a stable and nurturing home life, not being a victim of abuse, absence of witnessing abuse, appropriate education and mental health services, and access to developmental services. These factors help define the next step, the action items needed by the province and our service delivery system to begin to address the needs of this vulnerable group: individuals who make up a significant portion of the systems' users and clients, those whom the system is failing to serve in spite of the allocation of significant resources and the best intentions. During discussions in the 1990s there was debate whether we should diagnose a disability for which there was no cure or treatment and one that implicated the mother so explicitly. By avoiding defining the problem, it would only grow, and no solution would ever be found. The Stakeholders has worked towards defining the problems and exploring solutions through the advancement of awareness, diagnosis, care support, and prevention of FASD. Dr. Valerie Temple: I'm going to talk to you a little bit about diagnosis. Diagnosis of FASD is not a matter of a simple blood test or a CT scan, although these things might be part of the process. It's not like Down's syndrome, where there's a chromosomal abnormality that you can locate. Diagnosis of FASD requires a medical physical examination, a cognitive and skills assessment, and investigation of prenatal and medical and psychiatric history. It requires a team of clinicians, all with specialized training in FASD. In many regions of our province it's a great challenge to bring together the multi-disciplinary team necessary to make a diagnosis of FASD. Diagnosis also takes a great deal of time, and the fact that there is no OHIP billing code for FASD diagnosis presents a significant challenge for physicians, as their time isn't recognized and it's not captured in the broader context of the medical system. In addition to challenges, however, we also have opportunities-opportunities to recognize and utilize the resources already available to us across the province. Multi-disciplinary mental health teams do exist in many regions, and training these existing teams to identify and diagnose FASD would be a very valuable first step. We're beginning to know what to do to address the complex needs of this significant subpopulation who are heavier users of the system, are at high risk of mental health and addictions and who have thus far had their needs unmet. We know that people with FASD often receive a variety of mental health diagnoses across their lifespan. Attention-deficit disorders, conduct disorders, borderline personality, post-traumatic stress and psychosis are a few of the very common ones. Although there are effective treatments for these disorders through existing mental health systems, for people with FASD, treatment using traditional means is often ineffective. Clinicians working in this field will tell you that individuals with a brain injury such as FASD require specialized interventions and accommodations in order to be successful. Sending people with FASD, over and over, to traditional interventions leads to a sense of failure for the individual, frustration for the service provider and despair for the family. And it wastes valuable resources by applying interventions and treatments that we already know are unlikely to be effective. That is why increasing access to accurate diagnosis, coupled with education, is key. We know the types of interventions that work in FASD. We know that environmental changes and supports, educating staff, support workers and teachers, and comprehensive long-term support plans are what are needed. Ms. Sheila Burns I wanted to talk a little bit about prevention. Prevention strategies need to resonate with the general population who just need information regarding the impact of alcohol on the developing fetus. Women need to know they should avoid pregnancy if they drink alcohol. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder can be prevented. But there is a population of women who are alcohol-dependent. These women need specialized supports to cope with the complex issues in their lives. Toronto's Breaking the Cycle program is geared to help these women. A dozen agencies collaborate to bring the supports and services vulnerable women need to enhance their ability to deal with drug and alcohol dependency, to address trauma and abuse, to stabilize their lives and to learn good parenting skills. We know that if we support this group of women, we can reduce the incidence of FASD and provide early intervention programming for their affected children. Breaking the Cycle also identified a group of women who themselves have FASD, who stumbled through their lives having experienced failure, trauma, abuse and mental illness, and an undiagnosed disability. Those women need the supports offered other adults with developmental disabilities. Both men and women with FASD need access to supportive housing, employment and daily living so they can contribute to their community to their fullest capacity. They need a lifetime of support and a continuum of care. Bill 77, the act to provide services to persons with developmental disabilities, offers an opportunity to address the needs of these vulnerable adults. It adds executive and adaptive functioning impairments to the criteria for accessing services. A flexible service provision will assist individuals to work, parent and live with respect and dignity. In a recent study, FASD is estimated to cost Canadians $5.3 billion annually. In Ontario, we would see huge savings and efficiencies if we ensured that the services these individuals receive were appropriate to their disability and weren't contributing to the problem. With awareness, diagnosis and training, we can begin to align services more appropriately and see better outcomes. Ontario is the only province that does not have government staff assigned to this issue. The western provinces and territories have worked together for years exploring facets of the disability, providing training opportunities, conducting research and defining and advancing best practices. Ontario is not at that table, which leaves no one to ensure appropriate service provision for the 130,000 individuals in this province with FASD, nor is there a strategy to reduce the incidence rate. We need ministry and government leadership in a collaborative approach, as is demonstrated by this standing committee, to take the lead on this issue. It requires more than the dedication of a few dozen volunteers across the province. Those with FASD are heavy users of our system's mental health and addiction services. They do not have to be: Appropriate services. Thank you very much. 1710 The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you for a very good presentation. Unfortunately, there's no time for questions and answers, but I think you did a very good job. It's interesting. I just wanted to point out a thing that I think that most of the committee members would have heard: that if you become pregnant, you should avoid alcohol. What you're saying here is that if you drink alcohol, avoid pregnancy, which is turning it around a little bit. Ms. Sheila Burns: And I think that's a really valid point. I think we do have to look at this differently; that so many women drink and so few-only 50% of women-plan their pregnancies. So the risk of overlap and early complication exists, and that leaves women to worry. I think that if we look at it through a different lens, we can effect change. The Chair (Mr. Kevin Daniel Flynn): Thank you very much for coming today. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/066a1c32/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 22:59:59 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:04:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Is it safe for breast-feeding mothers to drink alcohol? Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109225949.062f68c0@ncf.ca> "...It is indisputable that drinking alcohol during pregnancy poses severe risks to unborn babies..." www.theglobeandmail.com Globe & Mail Globe Life Health & Fitness Seriously? Is it safe for breast-feeding mothers to drink alcohol? We ask the experts to settle common questions we've all wondered about. Dr. Sharon Unger From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Nov. 02, 2009 7:25PM EST Dr. Sharon Unger is a staff neonatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Question Is it safe for breast-feeding mothers to drink alcohol? Or can the alcohol enter her breast milk and potentially harm the nursing infant? Answer It is indisputable that drinking alcohol during pregnancy poses severe risks to unborn babies ? every expectant mom is ingrained with the ?no alcohol? rule. The risks associated with drinking while breastfeeding, however, are not as clear. The best advice when it comes to alcohol and breastfeeding: Plan in advance and understand the potential risks to your baby. Research shows that alcohol easily enters breast milk and passes to the nursing infant. Unfortunately, no safe limit has been established, making it important to protect babies from exposure to alcohol. When first born, infants are particularly vulnerable to the risks associated with alcohol because they metabolize, or break down, alcohol at a much slower rate than adults, potentially making their blood alcohol level climb higher than expected. Newborns are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of alcohol because their brains are still rapidly growing and developing. Alcohol has been proven to have a negative impact on a child's neurodevelopment, alter their sleep patterns, impair motor development and decrease their milk consumption. This doesn't mean that a mom must completely give up drinking while she is breastfeeding (the Canadian Paediatric Society recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and to continue breastfeeding up to two years or more of a child's life). For many women, it would be an unrealistic expectation after nine months of steadfast sobriety during pregnancy to completely abstain from alcohol in the postnatal time period. Instead, most physicians advise nursing mothers to plan ahead: If you expect to drink on occasion, pump once or twice a week and store the milk in the freezer. This way breast milk that is free of alcohol is available when needed, and moms won't worry if they go out and have an unexpected drink. Complete abstinence is only recommended while new moms are establishing a breastfeeding routine with their newborn. During this time, which differs for each mother and baby, moms must breastfeed often and on demand, making it difficult to plan ahead. Some women still rely on ?pumping and dumping? (pumping and discarding their milk after drinking) to rid their breast milk of alcohol. Other than for a woman's comfort and to maintain milk supply, this technique is really not necessary because alcohol continuously diffuses in and out of the milk as a mother's blood alcohol level changes. As her body metabolizes it, the alcohol is removed from a woman's breast milk over time. Instead, after drinking, a mother must ensure that enough time has passed for the alcohol to have completely left her system before nursing. Refer to the Hospital for Sick Children's Motherisk website (motherisk.org/women/updatesDetail.jsp?content_id=347) for a table that provides the length of time it will take for alcohol to disappear by taking into account a woman's weight and the number of drinks consumed. For example, a woman who weighs 140 pounds should wait two hours and 19 minutes after a single alcoholic drink (12 ounces of beer or five ounces of wine) before breastfeeding her baby. The health benefits of breastfeeding cannot be overstated so it's worth the effort to plan in advance in order to always provide your baby with the optimal nutrition free of potential hazards. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/e6d5aaef/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:00:26 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:04:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fed/prov/terr ministers committed to addressing key justice... issues Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109230018.0627ee80@ncf.ca> "...Ministers continued discussion on access to justice for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)...." http://www.scics.gc.ca/cinfo09/830974004_e.html Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) NEWS RELEASE Ref: 830-974/004 Federal-Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Justice Fredericton, New Brunswick - October 29-30, 2009 FEDERAL / PROVINCIAL / TERRITORIAL MINISTERS COMMITTED TO ADDRESSING KEY JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES FACING CANADIANS Fredericton, New Brunswick, October 30, 2009 ? Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers responsible for justice and public safety concluded their meeting today, after in-depth discussions on key justice and public safety issues currently facing Canadians. The meeting was co-chaired by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., the Minister of Public Safety, Peter Van Loan, the New Brunswick Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Michael Murphy and the New Brunswick Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, John Foran. Ministers were provided with an overview of recent federal legislative initiatives. Ministers acknowledged the progress made on combating crime, noting in particular Bills C-25 (Truth in sentencing), C-14 (Organized crime and the protection of justice system participants) and S-4 (Identity theft). FPT Ministers agreed on the need for the following priority reforms to address organized crime: bail reform; wire tap reform; drug trafficking; and the pre-trial process. FPT Ministers also acknowledged the seriousness of major economic crime and the impacts on victims. Ministers agreed on the need to work together and support coordinated actions. Ministers discussed challenges related to addressing victimization of Aboriginal people, and a range of family law issues. Ministers continued discussion on access to justice for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In recognition of the importance of access for children to both parents, FPT Ministers indicated their support for releasing Facilitating Access: Report of the Family Justice Working Group on Parenting and Contact Enforcement and Jurisdiction. Ministers discussed the sentencing of repeat impaired driving offenders and acknowledged the seriousness of this issue. Ministers also discussed justice effectiveness issues such as jury reform, self-represented accused, electronic disclosure, a report related to self-defence and changes to simplify the search warrant application process. Ministers also discussed the development of national guidelines for conducted energy weapons. Changing Face of Corrections Ministers discussed the need to continue addressing the changing face of corrections in Canada. They acknowledged that progress has been made, specifically the passage of Bill C-25 which limits credit for time served in remand. All jurisdictions agreed to continue joint FPT work on the sharing of best practices through Heads of Corrections across Canada. Mental Health and Justice Ministers acknowledged the need to address the increasing challenges related to mental health issues in the criminal justice system. They recognized that consultation with their respective health and social services ministries is critical. Ministers agreed this topic would be a standing agenda item for their future meetings, and called on officials to begin discussions when they next meet in January 2010. RCMP Modernization Ministers were provided with an update on the ongoing efforts to modernize the RCMP, where governance and accountability continue to be at the forefront. The most recent report from the RCMP Reform Implementation Council was noted, including its positive assessment of the reform to date. PT Ministers reiterated the importance of continuing discussions on the RCMP review and complaints body, and the creation of any future Board of Management. First Nations Policing Program Ministers were provided with an update on the First Nations Policing Program, and the current comprehensive review of the program. PT Ministers unanimously endorsed a resolution which asks the federal government to reaffirm its commitment to the First Nations Policing Program. All jurisdictions agreed to support the work of the comprehensive review. PT Ministers acknowledged the special circumstances of policing in the North, and the need to develop a unique Northern policing framework. Police Officers Recruitment Fund PT Ministers reiterated their position for permanent federal funding for the Police Officers Recruitment Fund. The federal Minister of Public Safety indicated that the federal government had delivered on its commitment to provide a one-time allocation to assist the provinces and territories in a manner that respects their responsibility for the administration of policing. It was agreed that this item will be on the agenda for the next Ministerial meeting. Legal Aid FPT Ministers agreed to extend the criminal legal aid contribution agreements for another year, to 2010-2011 and to prepare a FPT business case on criminal legal aid in the fall of 2010 for presentation to Ministers. PT Ministers expressed their perception that there is a lack of federal funding for civil legal aid and about the immediate need for additional immigration and refugee legal aid funding. The federal Minister of Justice reiterated his position that funds for civil legal aid are part of the Canada Social Transfer, and that the federal government is examining the request for increased funding for immigration and refugee legal aid. PT Ministers indicated that they would continue to work on the business case for civil legal aid, for presentation to Ministers next fall. Missing Persons Ministers acknowledged the seriousness of the issue of missing persons?particularly Aboriginal women and girls? and the efforts of those who reach out to victims. Ministers directed officials to report back on efforts to create a national information database of missing persons. - 30 - Contact information Mary Moszynski Communications Officer Office of Minister Murphy Telephone: 506-444-3153 Pamela Stephens Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Justice Telephone: 613-992-4621 Media Relations Department of Justice Telephone: 613-957-4207 Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS) webmaster@scics.gc.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/8f12e56d/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:02:06 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:04:17 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] 'Hardened' prisons called bad for rehab Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109230158.04373498@ncf.ca> [no mention of FASD] www.canada.com 'Hardened' prisons called bad for rehab System 'seems to be preparing' for overcrowding, watchdog says By Janice Tibbetts, Canwest News Service November 3, 2009 Canadian prisons are becoming "hardened" places where inmates are increasingly confined to their cells, prohibited from having visitors, restricted in their exercise, subjected to lockdowns, and less likely to secure temporary absences, says a report from Canada's prison watchdog. "Many on-site visits this year confirmed that the physical conditions of confinement have been significantly hardened, especially at the high-security levels" wrote correctional investigator Howard Sapers in his annual report, released Monday. "The problem, of course, is that a more punitive and restrictive environment is not one that is likely to promote rehabilitation of inmates." The prison ombudsman's report also confirms that temporary absences, work releases and day parole grant rates are now at their lowest level this decade, and consequently, offenders are often freed at the end of the their term without the benefit of discretionary releases behind them. The report surmises that the crackdown -- an "us-versus-them mentality" -- is an attempt to control gang affiliation and drug use in prisons. Sapers, however, told Canwest News Service that he believes the prison system is becoming meaner to "brace itself for the storm" of an anticipated influx of inmates who will be captured by the Harper government's tough-on-crime laws that will put more people in prison for longer. "The system seems to be preparing itself for more people," said Sapers, who predicted prison over-crowding and a proliferation of "double bunking." For the last several years, Sapers has highlighted the problem of the prison system warehousing mentally ill offenders and this year's report said that it is getting worse without adequate treatment or workers to cope with people who often should be cared for by the health system rather than in penitentiaries. "Mental health-care delivery and related services and supports in federal corrections are perhaps the most serious and pressing issues facing the service today," he wrote. Sapers issued a report earlier this year that said that the risk of suicide in prisons remains unacceptably high because of the government's focus on security over the needs of mentally ill inmates such as Ashley Smith. A New Brunswick teen with mental-health problems, Smith was 19 when she killed herself in 2007 at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont. The prison ombudsman's latest report notes that there has been a substantial increase in reports of "self-harm" incidents, which more than doubled in the six-month period from April to September 2008, compared to the same period in 2006. Sapers reported that the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal offenders continues to grow and that the rate for aboriginal incarceration last year was nine times the national average. There are about 13,000 offenders serving sentences of two years or more in 54 federal penitentiaries. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/f025f271/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:02:21 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:04:20 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Create prison psychiatric units, report urges Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109230213.04373208@ncf.ca> "...About 10 per cent of all sentenced offenders have a "significant" mental disorder when they are admitted..." www.thestar.com Toronto Star News Create prison psychiatric units, report urges Richard J. Brennan Ottawa Bureau Published On Tue Nov 3 2009 [Photo} Family handout of Ashley Smith OTTAWA?Too many prisoners in Canada's correctional systems are injuring themselves and others because they're denied proper psychiatric care, corrections watchdog Howard Sapers says. Sapers, the correctional investigator, released his annual report Monday calling for units to be created for the treatment of prisoners with known psychiatric problems. "Getting the (correctional) services focus on this is a little bit like trying to stop an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean," Sapers told the Star after the report, with 19 mental health-related recommendations, was tabled in Parliament. About 10 per cent of all sentenced offenders have a "significant" mental disorder when they are admitted, 80 per cent have a history of substance abuse, and the mental health of as many as a third of inmates deteriorates while imprisoned, Sapers noted. But it's the 10 per cent suffering from significant mental disorders that Sapers says must be dealt with in a professional setting. There are about 13,000 men and women in Canada's federal institutions. "One of our key recommendations is that the minister secure funding and direct the correctional service to immediately create what are known as intermediate-care units. These are units within penitentiary that deal specifically with people who are mentally ill," he said in the interview. "A good example would be those individuals who are engaged in chronic self-harming behaviour or people who are either slashing (their wrists) or using ligatures (to try to commit suicide)." Sapers said the Ashley Smith case brought this into sharp focus. Smith, 19, killed herself in 2007 at a Kitchener prison for women after her mental illness went untreated. Guards watched as she strangled herself in a segregation cell. Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan, also responsible for corrections, told a federal-provincial justice ministers meeting last week in Fredericton he was concerned the mentally ill are ending up in prison. "This situation is simply not acceptable," he said, adding the justice system needed to work with health professionals to ensure "the mentally ill are treated, rather than incarcerated." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/f658402f/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:02:42 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:04:22 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Correctional Investigator Releases 36th Annual Report Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109230234.04372f78@ncf.ca> [nothing about FASD in report] http://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/comm/press/press20091102-eng.aspx Office of the Correctional Investigator www.oci-bec.gc.ca For Immediate Release Correctional Investigator Releases 36th Annual Report Recommendations address creating better and safer environment for offenders and Correctional Service staff alike OTTAWA, November 2, 2009 ? The 2008/09 Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) was tabled today in Parliament. The Report contains 19 key recommendations addressing issues of concern regarding policies and procedures within Canada's federal prison system. Highlighting the need to improve the care and treatment of inmates with mental illness, the Report recommends increased hiring of mental health professionals and the establishment of intermediate mental health care capacity in each region. It also recommends clinical management plans to treat offenders with mental disorders be developed and implemented on a priority basis and managed by interdisciplinary teams of mental health, security and case management personnel working together. It further calls on the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to conduct independent reviews of long-term segregation of offenders with mental illness on a priority basis, and submit the review process to an external validation and evaluation exercise. "I am pleased that the Correctional Service has seized upon the recommendation that calls for an external review of segregation practice," Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers said. "There is much to be done to ensure that segregation is not overused, is consistent with the principle of using the least restrictive correctional measures and is sensitive to the health requirements of mentally ill inmates." Noting that a safe environment for offenders is a safe environment for staff, Sapers reminded the Service that it must focus on finding the balance between security and care. Another area of concern for the OCI is the need for the Service to improve management of self-injurious behaviour by offenders. The Report calls for the development of a national strategy for managing chronic self-harming behaviours and incidents including: prevention, intervention and treatment measures; the creation of an inventory of best practices in the treatment and prevention of self-harm for widespread distribution throughout the Service; and new specialized and dedicated units in each region as required, to manage chronically self-harming offenders. To ensure the CSC provides offenders with essential health care to professionally accepted standards of practice, and that there is consistency in the delivery of health services from one institution to another, the Report recommends that CSC's implementation of its Health Services Framework be reviewed by an external panel of experts empowered to report annually, for the next three years. Noting correctional programs that address an offender's risk to re-offend contribute to public safety and provide good value for money, the Report calls on the Service to increase access and the quality of programming, especially for older offenders, inmates with learning challenges, and those with mental health problems. Once again, the OCI is recommending the immediate appointment of a Deputy Commissioner for Aboriginal Corrections. Additional recommendations in regard to Aboriginal offenders include: improvements to close the gap between Aboriginal and other offenders in terms of timely and safe conditional release; the hiring of more Aboriginal staff; and increased Aboriginal programming. Addressing women's corrections, the Report calls for the position of Deputy Commissioner for Women to be strengthened from one of "functional" authority to one of "substantive and line" authority. This repeats the OCI recommendation made in the aftermath of the death of Ashley Smith in October 2007. Other issues dealt with include a call to rescind the Management Protocol for Women Offenders and the need for clinical management plans for high-needs and high-risk women offenders. Concerns regarding physical conditions of confinement, such as time in cell, limits on yard time and visits are also noted. In this regard, the Report recommends institutions emphasize custody and control in a safe, reasonable and humane manner. It notes the importance of ongoing training for new recruits and current staff alike in "dynamic security," an approach that relies on front-line staff being alert, engaged and interacting closely and constructively with inmates. The Report concludes by underscoring the OCI's continued concerns with the excessive number of offenders on long-term segregation status (60 days and over). It calls on the Service to implement procedural safeguards and ensure compliance with legal rights, and access to programs for all forms of segregation, consistent with the law and policy requirements . The Correctional Investigator is mandated by an Act of Parliament to be an independent ombudsman for federal offenders. This work includes ensuring that systemic areas of concern are identified and addressed. To access all of the findings and recommendations contained in this year's Annual Report, as well as other reports, including a recent series on deaths in custody, visit www.oci-bec.gc.ca . -30- For more information contact: Ivan Zinger, Executive Director and General Counsel (613) 990-2690; Ivan.Zinger@oci-bec.gc.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/19d21dbf/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:10:17 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:16:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Canada: Funding Opportunity Addictions & Mental Health Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109101214.03faea88@ncf.ca> http://www.jointogether.org/news/funding/opportunities/2009/canada-2010-national-awards.html Join Together Canada: 2010 National Awards for Excellence November 2, 2009 Funding Opportunity The Kaiser Foundation is now accepting nominations for its 2010 National Awards for Excellence, which recognize Canadian addiction and mental-health related programs and advocacy in six distinct categories. The winner in each category will receive C$10,000 to give to the charity of their choice. The Excellence in Aboriginal Programming award recognizes an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to reducing the impact and negative effects of alcohol and other drug use, or concurrent disorders involving substance use and mental health issues, in aboriginal communities or among aboriginal peoples through the development or implementation of effective and innovative community programming. The Excellence in Community Programming award recognizes significant contributions toward reducing the addiction and mental-health problems through the development or implementation of effective and innovative community programming. The award is not limited to alcohol and other drug specific interventions but includes broad-based physical and mental-health promotion, prevention, and treatment programs aimed at addressing risk and protective factors; building resilience; or assisting in management or recovery. The Excellence in Leadership award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated significant leadership within their community or sector (physical health, mental health, education, enforcement, social services, private sector, labor, etc.) to address the impact and negative effects of alcohol and other drug use, or concurrent disorders involving substance use and mental health issues. Leadership in building collaboration between sectors will be given special recognition. The Excellence in Media Reporting award recognizes an individual who has, through media reporting or commentary, made a major contribution to the public understanding of substance use, or concurrent disorders involving substance use and mental health issues, the related harms, and the range of appropriate responses. The individual's contributions are characterized by thoughtfulness and sensitivity in commenting on current issues related to substance use and related public policies and services. They draw on the best available evidence to create context and to promote understanding. The Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use Programming award recognizes an individual or program that has made a significant contribution to addressing the complex intersection of substance use and mental health issues through the development or implementation of programming that promotes mental wellness and/or healthy choices related to substance use. The Excellence in Public Policy award recognizes an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to reducing the impact and negative effects of alcohol and other drug use, or concurrent disorders involving substance use and mental health issues, through the advancement of effective public policy which was applied at any level (national, provincial, territorial, municipal or First Nations). Finally, the Excellence in Youth Leadership award recognizes a young person (25 years or younger) as having demonstrated significant initiative and leadership within their school or community to address the impact and negative effects of alcohol and other drug use, or concurrent disorders involving substance use and mental health issues. Nominations are due Nov. 20. For full details, see the Kaiser Foundation website. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/378345f7/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:20:02 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:22:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Heinans named foster parents of the year: Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109101402.03fa38e0@ncf.ca> "...Some of their foster children had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder but there was far less knowledge about it then..." .http://www.sunnysouthnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1291&Itemid=60 Sunny South News Coaldale and Picture Butte, Alberta Heinans named foster parents of the year Written by Caroline Zentner Tuesday, 03 November 2009 With more than 25 years as foster parents under their belts, Henry and Linda Heinen don?t hesitate to say they?d do it all over again. The Heinens have been named foster parents of the year by Southwest Alberta Child and Family Services and the Chinook Country Foster Parent Association, an annual activity that coincides with National Foster Family Week. In addition, they received a citation award for their length of service, one of 19 such awards given to southern Alberta foster parents for length of service varying from five years to 35 years. Fostering was something Linda wanted to do ever since her first year as a teacher. ?I?m adopted and I had a wonderful home and parents and a great upbringing,? she said. ?When I was teaching in Winnipeg, I had a native foster boy in my class. He was such a neat little guy and, because I wasn?t married yet, I thought I would adopt or foster one day.? As it turned out, her husband Henry, a fellow teacher, was right across the hall. The couple married and had three daughters. When the youngest was seven, Linda figured it was time to start fostering. Henry supported the plan and the couple was accepted to be foster parents in the fall of 1983. Henry continued to work in the school system, retiring as a principal a few years ago while Linda devoted herself to fostering. Looking back on it now, they had no idea what they were getting into. ?We were very naive. We kind of thought love and support could fix everything,? Linda said. ?You don?t realize that some of these children, by the time foster parents gets them, they?ve been through a lot.? Some of their foster children had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder but there was far less knowledge about it then. ?You have to learn over time to deal with the behaviours of those children and their disabilities,? Henry said. ?You fly by the seat of your pants all the time,? Linda said. ?I home school, too, so I?m teacher and mom. We find these kids learn well one-on-one.? The Heinens live on an acreage near Picture Butte and they?ve had 37 foster placements over the years. They have guardianship of a now-adult foster son who no longer lives at home and two younger foster children still at home. Being a foster parent requires commitment around the clock and in the long-term. Even though their children will physically become adults, they will continue to need help in some aspects of their lives. Their daughters, now grown with families of their own, still support their parents and provide respite when needed. The Heinens would recommend foster parenting, either full-time or on a respite basis, to anyone who?s interested. ?I think it helps to have a good sense of humour,? Henry said. ?You take each day as it comes. Besides a sense of humour, you need a lot of optimism.? For more information go to www.fostercarealberta.ca. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/79984ab3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 9 23:23:56 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 9 23:28:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Psychiatric Training in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders "Inadequate": U.S. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091109101427.03fa38e0@ncf.ca> http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711792 Medscape Conference Coverage, based on selected sessions at the: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) 56th Annual Meeting This coverage is not sanctioned by, nor a part of, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. From Medscape Medical News Psychiatric Training in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders "Inadequate" Deborah Brauser November 4, 2009 (Honolulu, Hawaii) ? Psychiatric training in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is "inaccurate and inadequate," a national survey of psychiatric trainees reveals. Presented here at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 56th Annual Meeting, the survey showed although 40% of respondents reported receiving supervision with a patient with suspected or confirmed FASDs, 70% reported never diagnosing a patient with an FASD, and 51% reported they had never treated a patient with the condition. In addition, a total of 83% reported they had never used any standardized diagnostic schema at all. "Results from our study show that FASDs are underrecognized by psychiatry trainees, representing missed opportunities for prevention and intervention," lead investigator Roy Eyal, MD, from the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior at the University of California?Los Angeeles, told Medscape Psychiatry. "While respondents reported seeing hundreds of patients in clinical settings, the majority reported never diagnosing an FASD. With the high prevalence of this disorder, trainees are obviously treating those who have it, they just aren't recognizing it," he added. In addition, only 10% of respondents felt that they were "very much" or well-prepared to diagnose or treat FASDs, with 70% responding that that they are "not at all" or not well-prepared. Impairing Illness Past studies have shown that alcohol can affect the development of the human fetus and can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is defined by 4 diagnostic criteria: alcohol exposure, growth retardation, facial features, and central nervous system impairment. It is estimated that FAS affects 1 to 2 of every 1000 live births in the United States. FASD is a more broadly defined disorder and does not require the facial features or growth problems from FAS, but it does require alcohol exposure and central nervous system impairment. It affects 1 in every 100 live births in the United States. However, significant effects of FASD can occur throughout life and do not differ from FAS. "About a quarter of the adults with this disorder have made suicide attempts, 94% have a mental illness, almost half have been incarcerated at least once, 80% do not live independently, and almost half of women with children no longer have the children in their care. It's just a really impairing spectrum of illness that affects a lot of people," Dr. Eyal explained. The most important protective factor for individuals with FASDs is early diagnosis, said Dr. Eyal, so the investigators designed the current study to evaluate the quality of FASDs education for psychiatric residents and fellows. Using a Web-based questionnaire, the researchers collected data from psychiatry trainees across the United States from October 2008 to January 2009. A representative sample of those who responded (n = 308; 64% women, 59% white) was then evaluated. It consisted of trainees from the Northeast (29%), South (26%), West (24%), and Midwest (21%). Troubling Finding Most troubling, said Dr. Eyal, was the fact that so many respondents mistakenly reported that "it is safe to drink some alcohol" during the first (6%), second (15%), and third trimesters (30%). "For the first trimester, almost everyone understood that it is unsafe to drink alcohol. But regarding the third trimester, the ideology is obviously misunderstood." "Alcohol is a teratogen throughout pregnancy, especially the third trimester," said Dr. Eyal. "This is the period of fetal brain development considered to be the most sensitive to the damaging effects of alcohol." Finally, only 31% of respondents correctly reported that those with FASDs are at equal risk for adverse outcomes as those with full FAS. "Even though [FASDs] are 100% preventable, 10% to 15% of women drink regularly while pregnant, and over 3% drink heavily," reported Dr. Eyal. National Problem "Overall, the results revealed that training for psychiatry trainees is inconsistent and inadequate, and they poorly understand the importance of alcohol abstinence throughout pregnancy," said Dr. Eyal. "In addition, profound underrecognition of FASDs is a national problem." He added that the trainees reported making diagnoses of FASDs much more frequently when receiving supervision specifically addressing the disorder. There is also a need for an increased focus on broader education, national recognition, and prevention efforts. "While it is vital to increase awareness of FASDs in the community, we must first educate our clinicians and continue to expand our knowledge of pathophysiology and evidence-based treatment of this spectrum of debilitating but preventable disorders," concluded Dr. Eyal. Accurate Picture Asked by Medscape Psychiatry to comment on the survey findings, Elise M. Fallucco, MD, clinical instructor in psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, said she believes they accurately reflect current FASD training. "Having just gone through psychiatry training myself, I'd say that this is pretty realistic," she said. Dr. Fallucco was not involved with the study. She supported Dr. Eyal's conclusion that there is a need for increased awareness that these are common disorders that are often underidentified and undertreated. Dr. Fallucco said she would be interested to see what percentage of those with FAS or FASDs "were being picked out by psychiatrists in practice. This poster told us about residents, but I'd like to hear how psychiatrists in the community are doing." "I'd also be interested in learning more about the next steps," said Dr. Fallucco. "Now that we know that this is underidentified, what do we do to get the word out to improve the education of psychiatry residents and make sure that more kids are getting screened and identified? We've recognized that there is a problem, now I'm looking forward to hearing possible solutions." Dr. Eyal and Dr. Fallucco have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 56th Annual Meeting: Abstract 2.20. Presented October 29, 2009. Authors and Disclosures Journalist Deborah Brauseris a freelance writer for Medscape. Deborah Brauser has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091109/fc89871c/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Wed Nov 11 14:00:53 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Wed Nov 11 14:05:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] At-risk children 'can buck trend' U.K. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091111140045.0339cb08@ncf.ca> "...Unborn babies whose mothers suffer stress or illness or use drugs or alcohol can be more susceptible to both good and bad parenting..." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8349352.stm BBC News Monday, 9 November 2009 [Photo of a child] Children aged up to three are "more malleable", the report says At-risk children 'can buck trend' Unborn babies whose mothers suffer stress or illness or use drugs or alcohol can be more susceptible to both good and bad parenting, a study claims. Depending on the care they get, says the study, these children can do better or worse than their peers in developing skills such as application and empathy. Think tank Demos said targeted support for families of at-risk children could help them "buck the trend". Demos analysed data from more than 9,000 UK households for its report. The Building Character report says there are two main theories why some children are more susceptible to the influence of good and bad parenting. It could be a result of evolutionary natural selection, or another possibility is that "different pre-birth factors, including the ill-health or stress of the mother, may be hardwiring heightened susceptibility into the developing baby even before the child is born". " The situation of at-risk children may be both graver and more hopeful than previously assumed " Building Character report Demos calls for targeted intervention to help parents provide a warm and consistent upbringing that encourages children to develop crucial skills such as application, self-regulation and empathy. Report co-author Richard Reeves said: "No government can ignore the fact that some parents need more support than others: we must end this conspiracy of silence." 'Risk squared' The report says its analysis suggests "the situation of at-risk children may be both graver and more hopeful than previously assumed". "In the case that differentially susceptible children are subjected to poor quality childcare, poor parenting, or the detrimental effects of poverty itself, their risk is increased substantially - it is risk squared. "On the other hand, if interventions occur in the right way and at the right time, children with a poor start in life have every opportunity to make up for lost ground and even exceed their more advantaged peers: differential susceptibility may be one of the factors in what helps certain kids to 'buck the trend'." Mr Reeves called parenting "the final frontier for issues of social justice and social mobility". "If we want to seriously address social mobility in the UK it must start in the home and with children under the age of five," he said. The Building Character report has also suggested that an upbringing of "tough love" makes children more successful in later life. A balance of warmth and discipline from parents improved children's social skills more than a laissez-faire, authoritarian or disengaged upbringing, it suggested. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/8349352.stm Published: 2009/11/09 01:24:01 GMT -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091111/da3db12e/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Wed Nov 11 14:01:09 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Wed Nov 11 14:07:08 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] 'She's a walking angel': B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091111140101.0339c878@ncf.ca> "...who asked for -- and got -- meditation cassette tapes for her fetal alcohol syndrome group...". 'She's a walking angel' Cheryl Chan. The Province. Vancouver, B.C.: Nov 6, 2009. pg. A.14 If fairy tales come true in the Downtown Eastside, then the magical godmother responsible for a whole lot of little happily-ever-afters is Louise Edwards. One day in late October, Edwards drove up outside the YWCA's Crabtree Corner and Sheway premises on East Hastings -- two service agencies that help single moms, pregnant women and low-income families -- and started unloading a silver minivan packed with gifts. "These beads are for Heidi. This is a vaporizer for Vicky. This is for Laurie, the skinny one who really likes her hockey stuff," said Edwards, passing out neatly labelled boxes and bags to the women who have gathered around to help her, faces lit up with anticipation. Edwards has been delivering goods to Downtown Eastside women for so long she doesn't even remember when she started getting called a "godmother." Her mission began in 1986 when she started bringing books and toiletries to female inmates at the now-defunct Burnaby Correctional Centre for Women. An inmate told Edwards her help was needed at Crabtree, so she went there. And she's kept at it, visiting every two to three weeks for the last two decades, van stuffed to the gills with items ranging from clothes and blankets to baby bathtubs, stuffed animals and school supplies. The kicker? Edwards lives more than 350 kilometres away in Kamloops. Nothing stops her. Not her job as a clinical counsellor. Not the four-hour drive. Neither snow nor slush on the Coquihalla. Not even the price of gas, which has soared to more than a dollar a litre (compared to 35 cents a litre when she started). After Crabtree and Sheway, Edwards dropped off books, pillows and a glass jar at Sereena House, then more clothes and dishes at the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre. The next day, she swung by a young mom's home to drop off a TV and a microwave. "It's too heavy for her to pick up," she said. Many people in Kamloops know what Edwards does. She gets donations regularly, which she stockpiles in her garage and back yard -- much to the chagrin of husband Ron, who doesn't have as much room as he'd like, laughed Edwards. "Kamloops is an incredibly generous city," she said. "If I put the word out, I get it for my next trip." If she can't get an item donated, she buys it herself. She buys in bulk at Costco and used to shop at Wal-mart and Zellers until the women steered her to thrift stores instead. Asked why she makes the trek to Vancouver when there are people in need in her home community, Edwards said she was called to the Downtown Eastside. "Here is where it started. Here is where it carries on," she said simply. Edwards is "amazing," said Gladys Evoy of Crabtree, who asked for -- and got -- meditation cassette tapes for her fetal alcohol syndrome group. "The moms just tell her what they need and she brings them in." "She's a true godmother," exclaims another staffer, Nian Abdulrahman. Linda Petrie, a 63-year-old Crabtree client, said she wouldn't get any "luxuries" if it weren't for the godmother. "Look at the stuff she's getting," she said, motioning to blankets and a small used TV in the back of the van. "Where would I get a TV like that? I'd have to save forever. She gives luxuries to people who don't have it and she's not asking for anything back." Eight months ago, Petrie got a Sunbeam microwave from Edwards. "I went upstairs and cried my heart out," she said. "She's a walking angel." Edwards said the looks on the women's faces make her work worth it. "The best part is watching people regain the human spirit," she said. "They're behind the eight ball but it doesn't matter. They're still truckin' along. All I do is enable them to get to where they got to go." chchan@theprovince.com - Operation Phoenix is a year-long project by The Province, CKNW 980 and Global B.C. We hope to engage the community in seeking solutions to the issues facing our most vulnerable citizens in the Downtown Eastside. Credit: Cheryl Chan; The Province [Illustration] Photo: Gerry Kahrmann, The Province / II Louise Edwards offloads yet another minivan-load of donated goods after making the four-hour trip to the Downtown Eastside from Kamloops, her home city -- something she has been doing since the 1980s. ; Photo: Gerry Kahrmann, The Province / "The best part is watching people regain the human spirit . . . All I do is enable them to get to where they got to go." - Louise Edwards ;; Caption: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091111/157e1695/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Wed Nov 11 14:04:19 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Wed Nov 11 14:21:12 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] B.C. teenager accused of killing baby mentally unfit to stand trial Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091111140411.0339c4a0@ncf.ca> "...two doctors have diagnosed him as having fetal alcohol syndrome..." B.C. teenager accused of killing baby mentally unfit to stand trial ROBERT MATAS. The Canadian Press. Toronto: Nov 7, 2009. VANCOUVER _ A teenager accused of killing 21-month-old Jor-el Macnamara in the remote northern B.C. community of New Hazelton earlier this year is mentally unfit to stand trial and will remain in custody for further diagnosis and treatment, a three-member panel of the B.C. Review Board decided Friday. The death of the toddler shook British Columbia this spring, reviving concerns over provincial government policies on where child-protection workers place children who are removed from their family home. The Ministry of Children and Family Development had refashioned its approach after toddler Sherry Charlie was killed in 2002 by her uncle after being taken away from her mother and placed in his home. But Jor-el was killed less than two months after the government took him from his parents and placed him in another home. Family members have said they repeatedly told the ministry that the little boy was not receiving proper care after he was separated from his mother, but staff did not respond to their pleas to help Jor-el. The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with second-degree murder. A B.C. Supreme Court judge last month found him unfit to stand trial based on a preliminary assessment. The review board was required to hold a hearing within 45 days to determine if the situation persisted. None of the teenager's family members attended the review board hearing Friday. During the two-hour session, the teenager, dressed in a red T-shirt, baggy jeans and black sneakers, glanced at the lawyers, social worker and review-board members at the hearing. He showed no emotion as he listened to psychiatrist James Quan say that two doctors have diagnosed him as having fetal alcohol syndrome. Mental retardation was identified as early as kindergarten and Grade 1, and was borne out by day-to-day experience, Quan said. He reacts to his environment, Quan said, and can be verbally abusive by swearing and hurling threats. But if his activity changes, he can be equally impulsive in expressing his pleasure with the same person he was swearing at moments before, the psychiatrist said. The teenager may have limited understanding of the court process and may not have comprehended why he was at a review board hearing, Quan said. He added that the boy also has minimal ability to learn. He could glean some kind of understanding through role playing, but 10 seconds later he would not remember what he had learned, the psychiatrist said. He added that the teenager cannot read and could not follow a movie, although he enjoyed some video games. His lawyer, Scott Hicks, asked him if he remembered what he was charged with. He remained silent. He was urged to respond. ``I killed a two-year-old when I was drunk and high,'' the teenager mumbled. Hicks asked his client if it was a serious charge. The teenager, his head bowed, twirled what looked like a stretched-out paper clip, but said nothing. ``I don't know,'' he finally replied. Similarly, he said he did not know whether the Crown prosecutor was on his side or what it meant to swear an oath on the Bible. But he understood that the judge would decide if he was guilty and that he would be allowed to go if he was found not guilty. He told the hearing that he would like to remain at the treatment centre. The review board, headed by chairman Bernd Walter, decided the teenager would remain in custody for further diagnosis and treatment until his next review in six months. He was allowed escorted trips away from the treatment centre at the discretion of the director of the institution. (The Globe and Mail) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091111/867afec8/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Nov 12 14:26:53 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Nov 12 14:28:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] WHO: Public hearing on harmful use of alcohol last year Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091112142644.037601b8@ncf.ca> >World Health Organization >Public hearing on harmful use of alcohol > >The WHO Secretariat held a web-based public hearing to provide an >opportunity to everyone to give their views on the best ways to >reduce harmful use of alcohol. Contributions to the public hearing >could be submitted via a dedicated website or by fax in any of the >six official UN languages (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, >Russian and Spanish) from 1 October to 15 November 2008. > >340 contributions were sent in by individuals, civil society groups, >WHO Member States and government institutions, academic and research >institutions, economic operators and other interested parties. In >providing their contribution the participants were encouraged to >focus on the following questions: > > * What are your views on effective strategies to reduce > alcohol-related harm > * From a global perspective, what are the best ways to reduce > problems related to harmful use of alcohol? > * In what ways can you or your organization contribute to reduce > harmful use of alcohol? > > >Received submissions > > > > > >:: >Volume >I: Summary of submissions [pdf 3.52Mb] > >:: >Volume >II: WHO Member States, Government Institutions, Intergovernmental >Organizations and Academia-Research [pdf 3.45Mb] > >:: >Volume >III: Nongovernmental organizations [pdf 7.77Mb] > >:: >Volume >IV: Alcohol industry, trade and agriculture [pdf 5.45Mb] > >:: >Volume >V: Other organizations and entities [pdf 3.49Mb] > >:: >Volume >VI: Individuals [pdf 3.79Mb] > >(As categorized by the submitters). > > > >Disclaimer > > > > > >All rights reserved. The information contained in this publication >may be freely used and copied for educational and other >non-commercial and non-promotional purposes, provided that any >reproduction of the information be accompanied by an acknowledgement >of WHO as the source. Any other use of the information requires the >permission from WHO, and requests should be directed to World Health >Organization, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, 20 >Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. > >The designations employed and the presentation of the material in >this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion >whatsoever on the part of the World Health Organization concerning >the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its >authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or >boundaries. The mention of specific companies or of certain >manufacturers' products does not imply that they are endorsed or >recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others >of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions >excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by >initial capital letters. The views expressed in this publication are >those of the participants in WHO Public Hearing and do not >necessarily represent the stated views or policies of the World >Health Organization. The authors only are responsible for their >submissions, and the readers only are responsible for the >interpretation of these submissions, whether edited or not. > >The World Health Organization does not warrant that the information >contained in this publication is complete and correct and in no >event shall the World Health Organization be liable for any damages >arising from the participation in these hearings or the use of the >submissions. The World Health Organization accept no responsibility >whatsoever for any inaccurate advice or information that is provided >by sources reached via hyperlinks in this publication or by linkages >or reference to this publication. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091112/53237543/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Nov 12 14:27:32 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Nov 12 14:34:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD in: WHO: Public hearing on harmful use of alcohol last year Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091112142700.0379e680@ncf.ca> >World Health Organization >Public hearing on harmful use of alcohol > 1 October to 15 November 2008. >340 contributions were sent in by individuals, >civil society groups, WHO Member States and >government institutions, academic and research >institutions, economic operators and other interested parties. ... >:: >Volume >I: Summary of submissions [pdf 3.52Mb] [I did a Word Search on Volume 1 Summaries It is interesting to see who is speaking up all around the world FASD is mentioned, but not much in depth] ERoss (page numbers refer to search pages, not volume pages) fetal alcohol/FASD/FAS p. 16 Bureau of Substance Abuse Services, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health. USA "...Require point of purchase advertising about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders..." p. 28 Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research. Canada #129 p. 60 FASaware UK p. 61 Fetal Alcohol Information Network. USA p. 62 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Ireland. Ireland #286 p. 73 International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance & Research (ICBDSR) Italy "...We strongly believe that public health effective strategies may include promoting awareness and knowledge for all, not only about fetal alcohol syndrome but also about other neurodevelopmental disorders...." p. 102 World Medical Association. France "...The global burden related to alcohol consumption is considerable...health care costs, fetal alcohol syndrome,..." p. 103 Youth Leadership Institute. USA "...Children and teenagers are among those at highest risk of alcohol-related problems, including fetal alcohol syndrome and a wide range of other alcohol effects..." p. 113 Brewers Association of Canada. Canada #305 "...the Canadian brewing industry has worked closely with partners and stakeholders in seeking to reduce alcohol misuse in its various forms, including addressing issues of alcohol and general health, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)..." "...These cooperative initiatives have involved a wide variety of programs and partnerships involving: the National Alcohol Strategy, the Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral (SBIR) program, the Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research (CFFAR), the Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Conference, the Motherisk Program of the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children (toll-free helpline),..." p. 149 Group of Experts in the Health Field. Brazil "...Some other specific worries concern: ? FAS (fetus alcohol syndrome)..." p. 161 Dianne Berlin, individual. USA "...The very serious result of alcohol use by mothers-to-be or those planning to become pregnant need to be exposed to the general population. The alcoholic beverage companies need to cover all costs for children with Fetal Alcohol Effects or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome...." p. 163 Sue Bradury, individual. Canada "...We have five sons with varying degrees of permanent brain damage done by prenatal alcohol consumption...." p. 167 Beverly Eastcott, individual. Canada #167 "...Educate! educate! Educate! You can't stop someone from drinking but you can tell them the effect of alcohol on their fetus. Safe sex stops more than HIV! FASD is totally preventable JUST DON'T DRINK! or practice safe sex..." p. 168 Barbara Fowlder, individual. USA #271 (lots) p. 169 Tracy Grant, individual, Canada (lots) p. 174 Jeanne Ketola, individual, USA #88 (lots) p. 176 Julie Mauck, individual, USA "...As a mother of two boys affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome..." p. 177 Carie McIntosh, individual, Canada #328 "...a response as a member of our local Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder committee and as co-chair of a provincial committee to address alcohol and pregnancy...." p. 185 Cindy The, individual, Malaysia "...Fetal alcohol syndrome [FAS] is a disorder of permanent birth defects that occurs in the offspring of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy...." warning(s) (not necessarily re pregnancy) p. 20 National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) Finland Web site: http://sttv.fi (after 1.1.09 www.valvira.fi "...health warnings in all alcohol packages and advertisings...." p. 32 Royal College of Nursing UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland "The RCN favours the introduction of mandatory unit labelling for alcoholic products together with a warning to women who are pregnant or trying to conceive..." p. 41 Active - sobriety, friendship and peace. Sweden "...health warnings labeling..." p. 54 Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) Malaysia "Health warnings that cover at least 50% of the packaging labels of alcohol..." p. 60 FASaware UK. "...Ways of sharing the message for all to see: 1. Point of sales and point of consumption warnings on the dangers of drinking before, during and after pregnancy if you are nursing. 2. Legible warnings on containers and in advertisements....whether printed or on television. 3. Information posters in clinics, dental offices, pharmacies and any office or are where medical care is involved. 4. Warnings on all pregnancy testing kits, contraceptive packages, condoms...." p. 61 Fetal Alcohol Information Network USA. "point of sales & consumption signs warning of dangers of prenatal alcohol consumption. warning labels on containers of alcohol beverages regarding the sale of alcohol beverages..." p. 67 GALA New Zealand "...supports strong warnings placed on alcoholic drinks..." p. 129 MillerCoors USA "...We strictly comply with all federal laws and regulations that require clear warnings..." p. 140 Vinos de Chile A.G. Chile "Congress is currently considering new regulations...The main area of focus is requiring warning labels on the products and...." p. 164 Lonnie Carton, Individual , USA "... As a psychologist, I know that successful behavioral change (i.e. attitudes about alcohol use, social responsibility of users, sellers. providers, etc) rarely results though warnings , lecturing, or , punitive measures....Knowledge is POWER..." p. 181 Sari Sarajarvi, individual, Finland "...warning labels on all bottles..." pregnancy/pregnant p. 17 Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions Canada "...All jurisdictions have alcohol and pregnancy programmes..." p. 24 Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan "...The use of screening tools to identify hazardous (or problematic) drinking must be routinely used in health-providing setting whenever unhealthy alcohol use is suspected....or for vulnerable groups, such as young people and pregnant women...." p. 28 Canadian Foundation for Fetal Alcohol Research Canada "...fund research related to the short and long-term bio-medical, psychological and social effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy..." p. 55 Danish Alcohol Policy Network "...Alcohol should be avoided....during pregnancy..." p. 59 European Working Group on Treatment of Alcohol Dependence. Hungary "...socially approved restrictions on availability of alcohol for population groups at elevated risk for harmful use such as young people, pregnant women..." p. 60 FASDaware UK (several) p. 61 Fetal Alcohol Information Network USA. (several) p. 70 Hungarian Association for Resposible Alcohol Consumption. Hungary "...0: means that there are occasions where the alcohol consumption is not allowed (drink-driving, pregnant women, at workplaces etc)..." p. 72 International Center on Alcohol Policies USA. "...a number of interventions to reduce harmful drinking that industry members are already implementing in....drinking and pregnancy..." "...exposed to this risk factor before they become aware of their pregnancy, educational and information must start for them before pregnancy...." p. 77 IOGT International .Sweden "...combined with measures to protect vulnerable groups such as young people and pregnant women. Thus a multipronged approach..." p. 88 Nord AN - Nordic Alcohol and Policy Network. Denmark "...alcohol should be avoided...during pregnancy..." p. 94 STAP (National Foundation for Alcohol Prevention) Netherlands "...promoting an alcohol free environment for pregnant women and minors..." p. 108 APCV - Portuguese Brewers Association. Portugal "...committed to developing new campaigns addressing alcohol misuse-related issues...alcohol and pregnancy..." p. 109 Associazione degli industriali della Birra e del Malto - Italian Brewers and Malsters Association. Italy "...AssoBirra, through its umbrella European Association (The Brewers of Europe), is a committer to the Forum, with a commitment addressing alcohol and pregnancy together with a prestigious scientific medical society, the Italian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (SIGO)...." "...commitment addressing alcohol and pregnancy initiatives to inform and sensitize on risks connected to the abuse and/or misuse of alcohol...alcohol and pregnancy..." p. 111. Belgian Brewers. Belgium '''commitments aimed at addressing alcohol misuse related issues...alcohol and pregnancy..." p. 118 Cerveceros Latinamericanos (English version) USA. "...problems that can and must be solved by the governmental sector, along with the participation of other sectors of society, including the alcohol industry...consumption during pregnancy..." "...Programs aimed at under age people and pregnant women..." p. 120 Copa-Cogeca.Belgium "... measures should be targeted at risk groups such as pregnant women and children to prevent them from consuming alcohol..." p. 123 European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) Belgium "...To promote responsible drinking: e.g. consumer information on responsible drinking guidelines (including for pregnant women)...." p. 125 Forum der Deutschen Weinwirtschaft. Germany "...We support prevention programs tailored to risk groups such as pregnant women..." p. 126 InBev. Belgium "...we have a clear position against drink driving, against drinking under the legal drinking age, against drinking when pregnant..." p. 131 Pivovary Topvai. Slovakia "...educational campaigns...alcohol and pregnancy..." p. 134 The Brewers of Europe. Belgium "...commitments aimed at addressing alcohol misuse-related issues...alcohol and pregnanc..." p. 151 Osservatorio Permanante sui Giovani e Alcool "...enforcement of laws and norms about...alcohol and pregnancy..." p. 161 Dianne Berlin, individual USA p. 168 Barbara Fowler, individual USA p. 175 Jeanne Ketola, individual USA p. 177 Julie Mauck, individual USA p. 178 Nivan Morgan, individual, Egypt "Mouthwash is being widely used worldwide without prescriptions and it is not widely investigated weather it could affect the conscious level of individuals. So it may be dangerous, especially to drivers, early pregnant females that use it before discovering they are pregnant, and teenagers that could misuse it, and it is now also being added to toothpaste." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091112/1d0eab5a/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Nov 12 14:47:42 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Nov 12 14:52:16 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] First salvo against alcohol Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091112144730.0365c428@ncf.ca> http://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/node/25168 Agence Science Press 10 novembre 2009 Premi?re salve contre l'alcool [The article in French is below] Google Toolbar has automatically translated this document to English November 10, 2009 First salvo against alcohol (Agence Science-Presse) - In the West, it occurred within 20 years is something that the anti-tobacco would have never thought possible: smoking has become socially unacceptable. Could it be that as it may one day even alcohol? In any case, the first salvo may come from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the coming weeks. That is for now the working title Global Strategy on reducing health damage caused by alcoholAnd a first Paper travail must be on the table for Board Members of WHO, at their next meeting in January. The document, unveiled in September, is the result of talks between representatives of 193 Member States of WHO, and if the Executive Board endorsement, it could be formally adopted by the General Assembly of the WHO in May But anti-alcohol, is it serious when we remember that alcohol has a love affair with humanity a few millennia older than tobacco? What may be the goal of this initiative, knowing that the WHO has no legal power? Officially, the objective is to develop an "awareness among governments, the importance of reducing alcohol abuse. In the hope, therefore, that governments legislate more severely. Mention pell-mell drunk drivers (the law is already stronger in America than in most European countries), domestic violence caused by alcohol, employees who endanger their colleagues and the syndrome Fetal alcohol. In the absence of stringent legislation, the WHO suggests the trump card: taxing. The New Scientist quote a researcher at the University of Florida who, after reviewing 112 studies, concluded that on average a 10% increase in price reduces consumption of beer by 5%, and reduces the spirits of 8%. Anyway, the WHO does not think that the West as a "comprehensive plan". In Kenya, a country of East Africa, poisoning caused by alcohol of questionable quality (and cheap), is fairly high in the list of causes of death. A local brewery has launched a rival good, and the Kenyan government has agreed to waive fees. From what perspective the problem of Western teenagers who drink too much on Friday night ... >Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:39:16 -0500 >From: SAFERA >Subject: en fran?ais cette fois... > >http://www.sciencepresse.qc.ca/node/25168 >10 novembre 2009 >Premi?re salve contre l'alcool >(Agence Science-Presse) - En Occident, il s'est >produit en moins de 20 ans quelque chose que les >mouvements anti-tabac n'auraient jamais cru >possible : la cigarette est devenue socialement >inacceptable. Se pourrait-il qu'il en soit un >jour de m?me pour l'alcool? En tout cas, la >premi?re salve pourrait venir de l'Organisation >mondiale de la sant? (OMS) dans les prochaines semaines. > >?a porte pour l'instant le titre provisoire >Strat?gie globale sur la r?duction des dommages >en sant? caus?s par l'alcool, et un premier >document de travail doit ?tre sur la table des >membres du Bureau ex?cutif de l'OMS, lors de >leur prochaine rencontre, en janvier. Le >document, d?voil? en septembre, est le r?sultat >de pourparlers entre les repr?sentants des 193 >?tats membres de l'OMS, et si le Bureau ex?cutif >l'endosse, il pourrait ?tre officiellement >adopt? par l'assembl?e g?n?rale de l'OMS en mai. > >Mais une lutte anti-alcool, est-ce s?rieux, >quand on se rappelle que l'alcool a une histoire >d'amour avec l'humanit? de quelques mill?naires >plus ancienne que le tabac? Quel peut ?tre le >but de cette initiative, sachant que l'OMS n'a aucun pouvoir l?gal? > >Officiellement, l'objectif est de d?velopper une >? prise de conscience, parmi les gouvernements, >de l'importance de r?duire les abus d'alcool ?. >Dans l'espoir, par cons?quent, que ces >gouvernements l?gif?rent plus s?v?rement. On >cite p?le-m?le les conducteurs saouls (la >l?gislation est d?j? plus vigoureuse en Am?rique >que dans la plupart des pays d'Europe), la >violence au foyer caus?e par l'alcool, les >travailleurs qui mettent en danger leurs >coll?gues et le syndrome de l'alcoolisme foetal. > >? d?faut de l?gislation s?v?re, l'OMS sugg?re la >carte ma?tresse : taxer. Le New Scientist cite >un chercheur de l'Universit? de Floride qui, >apr?s avoir pass? en revue 112 ?tudes, conclut >qu'en moyenne, une hausse de 10% du prix r?duit >la consommation de bi?re de 5%, et r?duit celle de spiritueux de 8%. > >De toutes fa?ons, l'OMS ne pense pas qu'? >l'Occident dans son ? plan global ?. Au Kenya, >pays d'Afrique de l'Est, l'empoisonnement caus? >par l'alcool de qualit? douteuse (et pas cher), >figure assez haut dans la liste des causes de >d?c?s. Une brasserie locale a donc lanc? un >rival de bonne qualit?, et le gouvernement >kenyan a accept? de l'exempter de taxes. De quoi >relativiser le probl?me des adolescents >occidentaux qui boivent trop le vendredi soir... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091112/4285d64a/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Nov 12 14:48:05 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Nov 12 14:52:21 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] WHO launches worldwide war on booze Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091112144752.03691000@ncf.ca> Sending this again. It was sent Oct. 18, 2009 >[In the >global >strategy on reducing health damage from alcohol >abuse Working document for developing a draft >global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol >? World Health Organization 2009 there is no >mention of FAS or FASD, or fetal or pregnancy. >The only mention of pregnant is on page 7 in >#18 "...Special attention needs to be given to >harm to people other than the drinker and to >populations that are at particular risk from >harmful use of alcohol, such as children, >adolescents, women of child-bearing age, >pregnant and breastfeeding women, indigenous >peoples and other minority groups or groups with low socioeconomic status...." > >http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427303.500-who-launches-worldwide-war-on-booze.html >New Scientist >Health > >WHO launches worldwide war on booze >14 October 2009 by Andy Coghlan > >HUMANITY's relationship with alcohol has never >been easy. Now it is about to undergo as great a >change as our attitude to tobacco, which has >seen smoking plummet from the height of cool to >the lowest of unpleasant habits. > >That at least is the hope of the World Health >Organization, which, between now and January, >will be honing its draft of the first global >strategy on reducing health damage from alcohol >abuse, the fifth leading cause of premature death and disability worldwide. > >Unveiled last week in Geneva, Switzerland, the >document is the culmination of talks between >representatives from the WHO's 193 member >states. "It is a landmark document," says Peter >Anderson, a health consultant and adviser on >alcohol to the WHO and the European Union. > >Member states will be invited to ratify the >finalised version of the document at the meeting >of the World Health Assembly in May, but the >document will not be legally binding. Its >purpose instead is to raise awareness among >governments about the importance of reducing >alcohol abuse and to provide data that will >persuade electorates that new laws are required >- thereby emboldening governments to take >action. The document will also present a menu of >legal and governmental strategies that have been >shown to work. "It will provide knowledge and >awareness about the size of the problem, and >advice about the most cost-effective policies," says Anderson. > >The impetus for action is founded on the growing >realisation that alcohol doesn't just harm those >who drink, combined with a better knowledge of >intervention strategies. For example, in March >the UK government's chief medical officer, Liam >Donaldson, devoted a chapter of his 2008 annual >report to "passive drinking", the damage that >heavy drinkers wreak on others. To illustrate >the extent of the problem in the UK, he reported >that in 2008, there were 125,000 >"alcohol-related instances of domestic >violence", that an estimated 6000 babies are >born annually with fetal alcohol syndrome and >that in 2006, 7000 people were injured and 560 >killed as a result of drink-driving, not including the drivers. > >Sally Casswell of Massey University in Auckland, >New Zealand, who helped produce the WHO >document, says a focus on passive drinking is >key to winning public acceptance for more >stringent alcohol legislation. "It challenges >the neoliberal ideology which promotes the >drinker's freedom to choose his or her own behaviour," she says. > >Persuading governments and citizens of the >problem is just the first step, though. What, if >anything, can be done to stop people drinking to excess? > >To some extent, strategies will depend on >location. In rich countries, for example, the >focus is likely to be on stopping young people >from binge drinking, whereas introducing >drink-driving laws may be a priority in rapidly >developing countries, where newly acquired >wealth is increasing ownership of cars and access to alcohol. > >Generally, however, the WHO says the most >effective measures are to raise prices through >heavy taxation based on alcohol content, and to >reduce the availability of alcohol through >strict licensing schemes limiting opening times and the number of outlets. >The WHO says the most effective way to reduce >alcohol consumption is to raise prices > >Such strategies may smack of overactive >government, but recent findings suggest these >measures work. Alex Wagenaar of the University >of Florida, Gainesville, and colleagues reviewed >112 studies examining the effects of price and >tax on alcohol consumption and found that, on >average, a 10 per cent increase in the price of >beer reduced consumption by 5 per cent, of wine >by 7 per cent and spirits by 8 per cent >(Addiction, DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02438.x). > > From another study, in which Wagenaar's team > surveyed 800 students leaving a campus bar over > four nights, and took breath alcohol readings, > the researchers calculated that each 10-cent > increase in the cost of a drink, per gram of > ethanol, was associated with a 30 per cent > decrease in the chance that students would > leave the bar drunk (Alcoholism: Clinical and > Experimental Research, DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01036.x). > >Meanwhile, at the behest of the Scottish >government, Petra Meier of the University of >Sheffield, UK, used Scottish data on levels of >alcohol consumption and the prices paid by >different people for different types of drink to >calculate the social effects of introducing minimum prices on alcohol. > >She estimates that setting the minimum price at >40 pence per unit of alcohol (a small glass of >wine or half a pint of beer), which is still at >least twice as expensive as the cheapest alcohol >available in Scotland, could save the nation >?950 million in healthcare and policing costs >over 10 years, and avoid 3600 hospital >admissions and 1100 criminal offences each year. > >As for light drinkers who complain they would be >unfairly set back by price increases, Meier >claims that a 40p minimum would hit heaviest >drinkers hardest, as they often drink the >cheapest booze, costing them ?137 extra per year >compared with just ?11 extra for a moderate drinker. > >Of course, taxing booze and restricting its >availability are not new ideas and such >strategies are already deployed to some extent >in most developed countries. But the WHO >document argues that many countries do not implement them effectively. > >In the US and the UK, despite taxes that are >heavier than on many other products, alcoholic >drinks are still cheaper relative to income, and >more widely available today than ever before. >This is likely due to government fears of a >consumer backlash, huge tax revenues from >alcohol, and pressure from the industry to avoid >anti-drinking legislation. Meanwhile, poorer >countries often don't have any regulations at all. > >Predictably, the alcohol industry is not happy >with the WHO's focus on reducing consumption >through pricing, availability and marketing. It >also argues that government intervention isn't >the only way to solve the problem. "Other >parties, including industry, can play a role," >says Marcus Grant of the International Center >for Alcohol Policies, a think tank funded by the >alcohol industry, in Washington DC. > >He cites a collaboration in Kenya to overcome >poisoning caused by cheap bootleg beer in which >an African brewery produced a safer rival, and >the Kenyan government agreed to lift tax on it. >The ICAP is publishing a book called Working >Together to Reduce Harmful Drinking in November, >co-edited by Grant, that includes a pledge to >"take into account" the potential health impacts >of products such as alcopops, which appeal to >the young, and promotions such as happy hours. >Another is to adhere to responsible marketing >policies that are monitored by independent consultants. > >Others are sceptical of the industry's >contribution to the debate. Robin Room of the >University of Melbourne, Australia, who studies >the legislation on recreational drugs, fears >that some parts of the WHO document may already >have been watered down to appease the industry, >especially those seeking to restrict marketing. > >Anderson warns against this: "Price and >availability are still the most effective >strategies to reduce consumption, but the other >thing is marketing, creating a social climate >around drinking through sports sponsorship and >movies. That has a powerful impact." >Creating a social climate around drinking >through sports and movies has a powerful impact > >Anderson is still optimistic, though. "I don't >think alcohol will ever become as socially >unacceptable as tobacco use, but societies may >adopt a more cautious approach to its supply and >marketing, resulting in less harm." > >Interactive graphic: >Explore >alcohol's toll on our health (requires Google Earth) > >Editorial: >WHO >fires first shots in the war on alcohol -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091112/724fc693/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Nov 12 15:01:01 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Nov 12 15:04:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario: ODSP Action Coalition Telling Our Stories Project Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091112150052.037985f8@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ODSP Telling Our Stories Questionnaire - 2009.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 98304 bytes Desc: not available Url : /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091112/3030f180/ODSPTellingOurStoriesQuestionnaire-2009-0001.obj -------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Nov 13 09:39:06 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Nov 13 09:40:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Charity wins in marathon: Victoria, B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091113093858.03af8240@ncf.ca> "...The 2009 charities were .....the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Community Circle..." Affordable housing built with gingerbread Jeff Bell. Times - Colonist. Victoria, B.C.: Nov 8, 2009. pg. A.4 Habitat for Humanity moves from traditional building materials to something a little more delicious on Tuesday. ..... ..... Charity wins in marathon The race results from this year's Royal Victoria Marathon are in the books, but the latest news from the annual race is that its Charity Pledge Program has been running at record pace. The program raised a best-ever $150,629 this year for 11 charities, up from $52,000 in 2008. Participants in the marathon and its associated events collect money for the charity of their choice by gathering pledges. The 2009 charities were the B.C. Cancer Foundation, the B.C. Lung Association, the Canadian Diabetes Association, CHOICES Adoption and Counselling, Every Step Counts (a running group for people with mental-health and addiction issues), CFAX Santas Anonymous, the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Community Circle, Habitat for Humanity, the Mount St. Mary Foundation, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Victoria Women's Transition House. The top individual fundraiser was Sister Lucy Dumont, who brought in $9,245 for the Mount St. Mary Foundation "Marythoners" by walking the half-marathon. It was the 79-year-old's fifth half-marathon, and she is intent on coming back for more. Dumont and other Marythoners (including Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman) combined to raise more than $40,000 for the purchase of new beds and specialized mattresses for residents of Mount St. Mary Hospital. Marathon general manager Cathy Noel said the jump in the number of pledges this year to over $150,000 is a great sign for the future of the four-year-old charity program. "Next year, I told the group that it's going to be a minimum of $200,000, and I would certainly like to get to a quarter of a million in 2011 -- but we might reach that next year." While there is no set number of charities the program can accommodate, Noel said it will likely not exceed 20. "We want to be able to service them and make sure that all of the charities are successful." A key aspect of the program is that the charities involved don't have to organize their own event, Noel said -- they just need to get people to participate on their behalf. "And they get 100 per cent of the pledges." The deadline for applying to be part of the 2010 Charity Pledge Program is Dec. 15. Application details are on the Royal Victoria Marathon website at royalvictoria marathon.com/sponsors/ charities.php, or e-mail Noel at cathy@royal victoriamarathon.com. ...... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091113/e0bfa448/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Nov 13 11:24:30 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Nov 13 11:28:19 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the criminal justice system Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091113112420.03b59a68@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Nov 13 11:24:53 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Nov 13 11:28:28 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews: Special Issue: FASD Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091113112438.03b5af80@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 16 14:08:56 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 16 14:10:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] U.S. Court Denies Death Row Appeal Based on FAS History Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091116140204.032640b8@ncf.ca> http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2009/court-denies-death-row-appeal.html Join Together Court Denies Death Row Appeal Based on FAS History October 6, 2009 A woman who murdered a retired Louisiana minister had her death-row appeal rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against Brandy Holmes' contention that her debilitation caused by fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) should have been considered during her sentencing. CNN reported Oct. 5 that the high court turned down the appeal without comment. Holmes' lawyers had argued that their client's FAS background should have kept her from facing capital punishment, saying she had the mental functioning of a 10- to 12-year-old. The appeal was supported by the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS). "Brandy has a hallmark case of FAS," said NOFAS President Tom Donaldson. "Her mother testified that she drank throughout her pregnancy, and in fact named her daughter after her favorite drink. Brandy's capacity to appreciate the criminality of her actions or to conform to the law is very seriously impaired." Holmes and a male codefendant were convicted of murdering Julian Brandon in 2003. COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE: Posted by Don Fultz on 07 Oct 09 10:40 AM EDT What is bothersome about the decision is that it was "without comment," as if killing a person requires no explanation. You can argue that she didn't offer an exlpanation to the person she killed, but that only means that we came down to her level in our punishment. Posted by William Woessner on 07 Oct 09 11:07 AM EDT While I am unfamiliar with the laws of Louisiana, it would seem that FAS would clearly qualify as a "mental defect" (if such a defense is permissible) and could have been used as both a legal defense and a mitigating factor to be considered at her sentencing. It certainly makes one wonder about the competency of her defense team (I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume it was a public defender). It's very sad that this is how our society treats the least among us. We have a long way to go before we are truly civilized. Posted by Hermann T. Meyer on 07 Oct 09 11:13 AM EDT Incredible, medieval justice Posted by Diane Kopperman on 07 Oct 09 12:44 PM EDT Although intuitively it makes sense that a person with the intellect of a 10- or 12-year-old would be incompetent, the courts have historically not considered mental age to be relevant to the discussion, as you will also find people with mental retardation on death row, particularly in Texas. For whatever reasons, right or wrong, the concept is applied to mental illness only, not mental development. Perhaps this is an area where citizens need to put more pressure on the legal system to expand its definition of competency. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091116/8196c8bd/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 16 19:25:39 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 16 19:28:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Rewards of Parenting a Child with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091116192532.02021d88@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 16 19:43:56 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 16 19:46:10 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Prison watchdog sounds alarm over state of native prisoners Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091116194343.0370eb38@ncf.ca> "...Aboriginals in jail tend to be younger, have previous criminal records, and suffer from health problems such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome...." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/prison-watchdog-sounds-alarm-over-state-of-native-prisoners/article1362211/ The Globe & Mail Politics Prison watchdog sounds alarm over state of native prisoners Correctional investigator warns of coming crisis as number of aboriginal prisoners balloons Ottawa ? The Canadian Press Published on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 11:07AM EST [Photo] The Old Don Jail, built in 1864 Marc Sargent for The Globe and Mail Canada's prison watchdog is sounding the alarm over the state of aboriginals in jail. Howard Sapers, the correctional investigator of Canada, says in his latest report today that the federal government has failed to live up to many of its commitments on improving the system. Mr. Sapers says the aboriginal population in the corrections system is growing every year, and without urgent action the situation might become a crisis. Aboriginals in jail tend to be younger, have previous criminal records, and suffer from health problems such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Part of the problem outlined in the report is insufficient funding to carry out the many programs and measures promised by the government. Mr. Sapers adds that some positive initiatives have not been rolled out nationally, so have a limited impact. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091116/ba3aad01/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Nov 17 14:39:12 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Nov 17 14:40:14 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Rewards of Parenting a Child with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder In-Reply-To: References: <6.2.5.6.2.20091116192532.02021d88@ncf.ca> Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091117143658.03957980@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:52:51 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 13:52:11 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Alcohol price controls suggested by World Health Organisation Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135047.03477e88@ncf.ca> "...The drinks industry is strongly opposed to the introduction of minimum pricing.... heavier drinkers are less responsive to price changes than moderate drinkers...." http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/16/alcohol-minimum-price-controls Guardian U.K. News - Society - Alcohol Alcohol price controls suggested by World Health Organisation Draft recommendations include minimum price controls and tougher drink-driving regulations Owen Bowcott guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 November 2009 15.28 GMT [Photo of a glass of red wine] The WHO paper says that 2.5 million people worldwide died of alcohol-related causes in 2004. Photograph: Foodcollection/Getty Images Minimum price controls should be imposed on alcohol and tougher drink-driving laws introduced, policy options circulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest. Details in the global consultation process have emerged as the government is resisting demands from health professionals for alcohol to become more expensive. The draft recommendations ? so far not widely distributed ? have been released in the run up to a formal decision by member states next year. Although the final guidance will not be binding, pronouncements by the WHO carry significant scientific and international authority. The drinks industry and some national governments have been lobbying hard against pricing controls. The Scottish parliament is currently debating the merits of bringing in a statutory minimum price for each unit of alcohol. When Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer at the department of health, came out in favour of a minimum price of 50p per unit earlier this year to combat binge drinking, his proposal was swiftly rejected by the prime minister. The British Medical Association and the government's own advisory body on medical treatments, NICE, have since endorsed the proposal, saying it would be one of the most effective ways of stopping young people drinking excessively and damaging their bodies. The WHO paper says that 2.5 million people worldwide died of alcohol-related causes in 2004, including 320,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 29. "Increasing the price of alcoholic beverages is one of the most effective interventions to reduce harmful use of alcohol," the WHO's 'Working Document For Developing a Draft Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol' states. "Consumers, including heavy drinkers and young people, are sensitive to changes in the price of drinks. Pricing policies can be used to reduce underage drinking, progression towards drinking large volumes of alcohol and/or episodes of heavy drinking, and to influence consumers' preferences." Among possible "interventions" proposed to reduce alcohol consumption are: bans or restrictions on "the use of price promotions, discount sales, sales below cost and flat rates for unlimited drinking", "establishing minimum prices for alcohol" and "providing price incentives for non-alcoholic alternatives". The paper notes that: "Setting minimum prices can reduce acute and chronic harm. A key factor for the success of price-related policies in reducing harmful use of alcohol is an effective and efficient system for taxation matched by adequate tax collection and enforcement." On drink-driving limits, the WHO suggests that the limit on drink driving should be 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, equivalent to a concentration level of 0.05%. "Strong evidence supports a sufficiently low level (0.05%) or lowering of limits for blood alcohol concentration as a central part of any concerted effort to reduce alcohol-related road-traffic injuries and fatalities," the WHO draft recommendations state. The limit in the UK is currently higher, 0.08%, but is likely to be reduced to 0.05% next year in Northern Ireland. The drinks industry is strongly opposed to the introduction of minimum pricing. A report commissioned by the brewers SAB Miller says that heavier drinkers are less responsive to price changes than moderate drinkers. It says: "This means that pricing legislation is unlikely to have a significant impact on overall consumption levels of those drinkers that it is intended to target, unless price increases are set at very high levels." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/7c0f623c/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:53:11 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 13:52:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Playgroup for children with FAS part of budget cuts: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135302.03469768@ncf.ca> http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/news/70566917.html Maple Ridge News Playgroup for children with FAS part of budget cuts Text By Monisha Martins - Maple Ridge News Published: November 19, 2009 3:00 PM Updated: November 19, 2009 3:43 PM The Ridge Meadows Child Development Centre will scale back its programs due to budget cuts imposed by the province. A play group for children with fetal alcohol syndrome was the latest program to feel the pinch, as it wrapped up indefinitely Tuesday. Next year, swimming therapy and other groups will also be reduced as the centre won't have a rehabilitation assistant any more. The rehab assistant was key to providing the group therapy services, said child development centre executive director Audrey Taylor. The centre lost $38,000 in funding this year. It was money that allowed the centre, which provides early support services to children with special needs who live in Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows, to enhance its programs. "If the funding had remained in place, we would not have had to stop the play group," Taylor added. "You can bet it wasn't our decision." The province has projected a record $2.8-billion deficit for the current fiscal year. Over the next three years, government spending will increase by $3.5 billion, covers inflation and population increases, not new spending. At the same time, the government says it will cut $3.4 billion in spending on administration, private contractors and discretionary programs. Taylor said the child development centre will mostly see the effects of those cuts in the coming months as well as the coming years. The centre serves children from birth to school-entry age who have neurological, orthopaedic and other developmental disabilities. As of October, it had an active caseload of 629 children and a year-long wait list of 256 - with 226 under the age of five. "I have some sympathy to the province but I think these are vital services for the kids," said Taylor. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/5e81b780/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:53:29 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 13:52:22 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ex-supreme court judge fought homelessness: B.C. (2 articles) Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135321.031e5200@ncf.ca> "...responsible for many key decisions on everything from land claims to how the justice system fails those with fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health issues...." www.canada.com Times Colonist Victoria, British Columbia 17 Nov 2009 Times Colonist KIM WESTAD Times Colonist kwestad@tc.canwest.com Ex-supreme court judge fought homelessness David Vickers advocated for B.C.?s most vulnerable, in and out of court Just five weeks ago, David Vickers took part in Project Connect, an event to help people who are homeless and raise awareness about the issue. TIMES COLONIST ARCHIVE Former B.C. Supreme Court justice David Vickers ? in the 1970s, above ? died Saturday in Victoria Hospice. As the former B.C. Supreme Court justice walked into the crowded courtyard at Our Place, several homeless people greeted him. They didn?t know him as a retired judge responsible for many key decisions on everything from land claims to how the justice system fails those with fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health issues. They simply knew him as David, one of the people on the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, and a good listener. ?He had no airs about him,? said Jody Paterson, also on the coalition. ?He was completely comfortable talking to anyone. He would have been a very powerful voice for change.? Vickers was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July and died Saturday in Victoria Hospice. He retired from the B.C. Supreme Court bench in January, at age 74, after serving 17 years. But retire isn?t the right word. As soon as he finished his judicial work, Vickers threw himself into one of his main concerns: fighting homelessness. ?In his work, he?d seen the role poverty and homelessness play in so many ways. He told me how much he was looking forward to taking on this issue. It was as though he?d been waiting to get his hands on it,? Paterson said. Vickers has always been guided by a strong social conscience, said his former law partner and longtime friend Tony Palmer, a judge on the Victoria provincial court. He met Vickers in 1966, and was ?pretty awestruck. He just oozed brilliance. He was self-confident and bright.? But what stuck most with Palmer was Vickers? passion for the issues that most affected people. ?Social justice wasn?t a cause he adopted. It was who he was and how he lived,? Palmer said. One of the first things Vickers said to Palmer when the two started a law office together was, ?The clients will come and go but you?ll be remembered in this profession by how you treat other people.? Vickers was known as a gentleman but also as a strong advocate for many clients and groups. He tried to change the system from many angles. As deputy attorney general in the 1970s under Dave Barrett?s New Democrats, Vickers led several justice reform initiatives. He later ran for the NDP leadership, but lost that bid in 1984 to Bob Skelly. Vickers and his wife Pat have four children, including a daughter with Down syndrome. They fought for Pamela to became the first student in B.C. with Down syndrome to attend public school. She also worked for the provincial government before her death at 21. In 1990, Vickers was stabbed in court, receiving 28 stitches after he ran to defend his client, who was being stabbed by a man in a custody case. When he became a judge, Vickers wasn?t shy about criticizing how the justice system deals with complex issues, saying the system often fails people who have mental health or addiction problems. His death comes almost exactly two years after his landmark decision in the Tsilhqot?in Nation case. In a 400-page-plus decision after 339 trial days, Vickers ruled that the Chilcotin First Nation had proven aboriginal title to about 200,000 hectares in and around Nemiah Valley, southwest of Williams Lake. ?It was a huge decision,? said Roger William, the former chief of the Tsilhqot?in Nation. ?I remember him as being very open and very sincere. I was surprised. We had heard of judges in other land claim cases not being like this. He was different.? Former justice, cabinet minister dies at 74 Anonymous. The Province. Vancouver, B.C.: Nov 17, 2009. pg. A.14 Former provincial cabinet minister and B.C. Supreme Court justice David Vickers has died of cancer. The 74-year-old was known for his progressive approach to everything from land claims to how the justice system deals with those with fetal alcohol syndrome. "He had no airs about him," said Jody Paterson, a member of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. "He was completely comfortable talking to anyone." Vickers was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July and died Saturday in a Victoria hospice. He retired from the B.C. Supreme Court in January after serving 17 years. As soon as he finished his judicial work, Vickers turned his attention to fighting homelessness. He was guided by a strong social conscience, said his former law partner and longtime friend Tony Palmer. Credit: Times Colonist [Illustration] Photo: Province Files / David Vickers ;; Caption: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/28169e36/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:54:02 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 13:52:26 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addictions Take Centre Stage at Issues of Substance 2009 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135351.034406d0@ncf.ca> CCSA Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Neuroscience, Mental Health and Addictions Take Centre Stage at Issues of Substance 2009 HALIFAX, November 17, 2009 . The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) today announced that Issues of Substance (IOS) 2009.Canada's biennial national conference on substance abuse.will look at the role of neuroscience, mental health and addictions and how research, treatment, and educational systems must evolve to effectively treat concurrent disorders. Concurrent disorders, defined as two disorders or illnesses occurring in the same person, is gradually becoming an area of significant interest in the field of addictions. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of those with substance abuse issues will also have a mental illness. Yet many of those receiving mental health treatment will not have access to substance abuse services and many of those receiving substance abuse treatment will not have access to mental health services. While the two conditions often share common biological, psychological and social antecedents that are not easily dissociated, those people with concurrent disorders are infrequently treated using an integrated and unified approach for the two disorders. Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, as well as Principal of the University of Toronto Scarborough and Vice-President of the University of Toronto, will speak to concurrent disorders today in a plenary session entitled "Neuroscience, Discovery Research and Treatment Implications". "We tend to view mental illness and substance use disorders as two distinctly separate illnesses and in many cases they are",. said Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino. Yet when the two disorders co-occur and are intertwined through neurological mechanisms, treating just one disorder or treating the two disorders independently is insufficient.and yet this is often what is done. Even our current accreditation guidelines for clinical care can allow institutions to choose between addictions or mental health standards, perpetuating the separation of addiction and mental health knowledge. The interplay between mental health and substance use is significant: Problems with impulse-control have been found to be the single strongest predictor of future substance abuse People with anxiety disorders are at two to five times greater risk of having a problem with drugs or alcohol Risk of substance use is at least double for those with Major Depressive Disorder Over 50 percent of adolescent patients seen in psychiatric clinics use substances People with schizophrenia are almost five times more likely to have substance use problems than people without mental disorders. The risk of schizophrenia in high users of Cannabis is six times higher than in non-users. In addition to his work as a neuroscientist, Dr. Franco J. Vaccarino is also a member of CCSA's Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), which was assembled in 2008 to provide a biomedical, neuroscience lens to CCSA?fs work in the field of substance abuse. In January 2010 the Council will be releasing a Substance Abuse in Canada report on concurrent disorders that will look at the role of stress and trauma, anxiety disorders, impulsivity, mood disorders and psychosis in relation to substance use. In addition to the plenary presentation, toda's IOS 2009 agenda includes an additional four sessions on mental health and addictions, as well as 11 sessions on topics ranging from the role of stigma and identity in the healing journeys of criminalized First Nations women to an interactive session on youth engagement in substance use prevention and health promotion. -- 30 -- About CCSA: With a legislated mandate to reduce alcohol- and other drug-related harms, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse provides leadership on national priorities, fosters knowledge-translation within the field, and creates sustainable partnerships that maximize collective efforts. CCSA receives funding support from Health Canada. For further information, please contact: Rob Mclean, Senior Media Relations Specialist, CCSA Tel.: 613-882-4048 Email: rmclean@ccsa.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/93b7d330/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:54:20 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 13:52:28 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Issues of Substance 09: FASD workshop Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135412.03478e60@ncf.ca> [600 participants expected 6 concurrent workshop sessions, choice of 6 each time FASD in one workshop] http://www.issuesofsubstance.ca/Eng/Pages/Home.aspx Issues of Substance 09 Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse National Conference November 15 - 18, 2009 Halifax, Nova Scotia http://www.issuesofsubstance.ca/Eng/Program/Program_at_a_Glance/Pages/default.aspx Program at a Glance Monday, November 16 11:00-12:30 Concurrent Session 1 PCHP 1 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Developing Capacity through Partnerships, Community Mobilization, Principles and Promising Practices http://www.issuesofsubstance.ca/Eng/Program/DetailedProgram/Nov16/Pages/default.aspx Detailed Program Monday, November 16 PCHP 1 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Developing Capacity through Partnerships, Community Mobilization, Principles and Promising Practices Speakers: Stacey McHenry, Saskatchewan Prevention Institute Bev Drew, Saskatchewan Prevention Institute Nancy Poole, BC Centre of Excellence for Women's Health Holly Mackay, Public Health Agency of Canada Facilitator: Stacey McHenry, Saskatchewan Prevention Institute Description: The presentations in this session describe approaches that have been developed for FASD prevention. The first presentation examines how different models have been successful. Participants will help identify best practices and ways to disseminate these insights. The second presentation is based on the work of the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute in preventing FASD. This session will emphasize the importance of having guiding principles and will focus on two specific initiatives. The third presentation will present the findings from six case studies?six models of comprehensive community mobilization on FASD. Through this interactive presentation, participants will: learn how and why these models have been successful; help identify promising practices; and be encouraged to disseminate information to communities across the country facing similar challenges. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/a9779b35/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:54:45 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 14:04:17 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Social Skills Improved for Alcohol-Damaged Kids Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135436.0354f948@ncf.ca> http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/17119 MedPage Today Social Skills Improved for Alcohol-Damaged Kids By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Published: November 19, 2009 Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner Earn CME/CE credit for reading medical news Action Points Explain to interested patients that prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with an inability to read social cues, which can lead to aggressive behavior. Note that this study found that social skills training can improve the ability to read social cues, at least in the context of the study. But caution that it's not clear how well the training will work in the real world. Teaching youngsters social skills can overcome some of the damage caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, researchers said. In a randomized cohort study, the intervention reduced those children's tendency to attribute hostile intent to others, according to Vivien Keil, PhD, of the University of California Los Angeles. The reduction was maintained for at least three months and may lead to improved developmental outcomes, Keil and colleagues reported in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. "Children with (prenatal alcohol exposure) have a hard time making and keeping friends," Keil said in a statement. "They tend to have difficulty understanding social cues and common social norms." That difficulty, she said, means that such children are "more likely to perceive that the people around them are hostile or negative." As a result, they tend to respond in a hostile manner, Keil said. The researchers theorized that teaching children to read social cues would reduce their tendency to assume hostile or negative intentions in others. To test the hypothesis, they studied 96 children with varying degrees of prenatal alcohol exposure. The researchers reported that 11% of the children were diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, 43% with partial fetal alcohol syndrome, and 46% with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders. The children, ages six to 12, were assigned randomly to either a social skills intervention program dubbed Children's Friendship Training or to a control group. The intervention aimed to improve the children's ability to enter social situations, rather than to respond to provocations. At the end of three months, the 47 children in the control group were also given Children's Friendship Training and followed for another three months. The intervention program was developed by study co-author Fred Frankel, PhD, also of UCLA. The effect of the training was evaluated using a set of cartoon-illustrated stories. The children were asked to imagine they were in the story and to gauge the intentions of others whose motives were ambiguous. At baseline, Keil and colleagues reported, there was no difference between the two groups in how they perceived hostility -- on average, more than half the time. But after three months of training, they found, the intervention group made 18% fewer hostile attributions on average than the control group, where the rate did not change. The difference was significant (P<0.05). The effect was maintained for the following three months, Keil and colleagues said. Over that period, children in the control group were given the training, and at the end of three months showed a reduction in hostile attributions that was similar in magnitude and also significant (P<0.05), they reported. "It appears that children's hostile interpretations of peers' social intentions, which have been found to be associated with aggressive behavior and peer rejection, can be modified by intervention efforts," said co-author Joseph Price, PhD, of Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. The study showed significant changes, the authors said, but it's not possible to say whether they are clinically meaningful. Likewise, they said, they don't know whether the cartoon vignette method generalizes to real-world situations. The study was supported by the CDC. Co-author Fred Frankel is one of the developers of the Children's Friendship Training program. Primary source: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research Source reference: Keil V, et al "Impact of a social skills intervention on the hostile attributions of children with prenatal alcohol exposure" Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 34(2): 1?11. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/d45d9c3b/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:55:00 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 14:04:22 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] NIAAA Director Visits Poland, Germany [for FASD] Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135453.0347d7e0@ncf.ca> "...Letter of Intent between NIAAA and the Polish State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems..." http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Newsletter/Fall2009/article01.htm National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institutes of Health, U.S. Fall 2009 ? Issue 19 NIAAA Director Visits Poland, Germany [Photo] Dr. Warren signs a Letter of Intent between NIAAA and the Polish State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems. On September 9 each year, countries around the world commemorate International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day (FASDay). The first FASDay was observed on September 9, 1999, a date selected to encourage women to abstain from alcohol for the 9 months of pregnancy. In honor of this day, governments issue proclamations and people gather for events to raise awareness of alcohol and pregnancy, including the risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in children. This year, NIAAA?s Acting Director, Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D., commemorated FASDay in Poland as part of a visit to the Ministry of Health in Warsaw to sign a Letter of Intent between NIAAA and the Polish State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems. The agreement establishes collaboration with Polish alcohol research centers under the leadership of the State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems. Dr. Warren was accompanied by FASD experts Kenneth Lyons Jones, M.D.; Edward Riley, Ph.D.; and Christina Chambers, Ph.D.; as well as Peggy Murray, NIAAA?s Senior Advisor for International Research. [Photo] The FASD team. During the trip, the team took part in several activities to determine if Poland should be added to the NIAAA-funded Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CI-FASD). The purpose of CI-FASD is to inform and develop effective interventions and treatment approaches for FASD, through multidisciplinary research involving basic, behavioral, and clinical investigators and projects. Drs. Warren, Jones, and Riley presented at the symposium ?Effects of Alcohol on the Child?s Development,? held at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences. The group also visited a psychological clinic in ywiec, where children are treated for FASD, and made an appearance at the national Polish symposium in honor of FASDay in the small town of Ledziny. In ywiec, Dr. Warren and Ms. Murray also visited the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and they were impressed with the facilities and basic science studies in alcohol. [Photo] Krzysztof Br?zka, Director, State Agency for the Prevention of Alcohol Related Problems, and Adam Fronczak, Deputy Minister of Health. ?Poland is being considered for participation in CI-FASD in part because of its public health interest in FASD; scientific commitment to understanding the disorder; and the country?s stable economy?important factors in Central Europe, where prenatal alcohol exposure can be a significant public health issue,? said Dr. Warren. In electing to sign the Letter of Intent with Poland, NIAAA considered these factors: the Institute?s previous work with health and science agencies in Poland and the work of researchers at the Jagiellonian University in Krak?w, who are conducting MRI studies and psychological assessment of 130 children who were exposed to alcohol in utero. Following their successful trip to Poland, Dr. Warren, Dr. Riley, and Ms. Murray traveled to Germany, where Dr. Warren presented the plenary address at the International Symposium on FASD held at the renowned hospital center, Charit?, in Berlin. In addition, Dr. Warren and Ms. Murray met with German Ministry of Health officials and several groups representing FASD in European countries. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/e44e43e3/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:55:26 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 14:04:26 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Students told they can change 'horrible situation' for First Nations youth: New Brunswick Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135517.03475330@ncf.ca> "...low educational outcomes, high numbers of children in care, children in custody, children facing drug addiction, children living with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol, drug and gambling addictions..." Students told they can change 'horrible situation' for First Nations youth SHAWN BERRY. Telegraph-Journal. Saint John, N.B.: Nov 21, 2009. pg. A.5 New Brunswick's child and youth advocate called on a group of Fredericton high school students to remember slain teen Hilary Bonnell as they become the leaders of tomorrow. "Life for children on New Brunswick First Nations is not always pleasant and, as the recent death of Hilary Bonnell reminds us, it can sometimes be short and tragic," said Bernard Richard, New Brunswick's child and youth advocate. Richard, who is in the midst of preparing a major report on First Nations child welfare in New Brunswick, said young people hold the power to one day correct the wide gap that exists between First Nations in Canada and the rest of Canadian society. He made the comments Friday as he spoke to a group of about 200 students from Leo Hayes High School, Fredericton High School and Ecole Sainte-Anne high school at the Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne. In presenting his annual state of children and youth address, he said New Brunswick is falling short in many ways. Whether it's child poverty or providing more mental-health services to young people, he says the province needs to bolster its efforts to keep young people from falling between the cracks. But he said the plight of First Nations children was particularly disturbing. "It's a horrible situation and it's unbelievable we're not making more progress on that front." He said he hopes young people can help make a difference. "They are the same age as her. These kids are leaders," he said. As part of the research, Richard, and a committee preparing the report, visited every Maliseet and Mi'kmaq reserve in the province in recent months. Richard's first stop was the Esgenoopetitj First Nation, formerly known as Burnt Church. He was there Sept. 2, three days before Bonnell, a 16-year-old from the community, disappeared. Her body was found last week after two months of searching and she was laid to rest on Thursday. Her disappearance cast a pall over the visits and discussions in other aboriginal communities, he said. "It stayed with me the whole session," Richard said. He said the social conditions existing on many First Nations communities are heartbreaking. He thinks most New Brunswickers would be shocked by the disparity. "I think we don't know our neighbours very well. "[broken bar] I've met with elders and youth, and service providers, and talking circles." Particularly troubling in New Brunswick was the fact that there were low educational outcomes, high numbers of children in care, children in custody, children facing drug addiction, children living with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol, drug and gambling addictions are all prevalent, Richard said. He hopes Bonnell's case will help expose some of the conditions existing in First Nations communities. "The example is the example of a young native person facing the challenges of violence, abuse "[broken bar] certainly I heard a ton about that." "I think Hilary Bonnell is the perfect example of young aboriginal women being over-represented in women disappearing in Canada as a whole." Alexandre Deslongchamps, a Grade 12 student at Ecole Sainte-Anne, said Richard's description of the hurdles facing other young people right here in New Brunswick was an eye-opener. "I had no idea - and a lot of people here didn't have any idea about all these things aboriginal people are going through." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/62aa6a8b/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:56:02 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 14:04:29 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Shortage of funds, surplus of suffering Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135552.03469528@ncf.ca> "...Poverty, inadequate housing and caregiver substance misuse - all factors linked back to residential schools - are the root causes for placing First Nations children at risk...." Shortage of funds, surplus of suffering; Inadequate funding for child welfare on reserves will perpetuate chronic social problems Paul Martin, Cindy Blackstock. Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Nov 22, 2009. pg. A.21 With the passing of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Canada must wrestle with the bleak reality that more First Nations children are in child welfare care today than were forced to live in residential schools at the peak of their operation. The damaging legacy of residential schools has been acknowledged by the Canadian government. Yet the federal government provides about 22 per cent less funding per capita for child welfare on reserves than other children receive. This funding disparity continues despite the fact that First Nations children are 8 to 10 times more likely to go into foster care. Abuse is not the chief reason behind the higher incidence of First Nations involvement with child welfare. Poverty, inadequate housing and caregiver substance misuse - all factors linked back to residential schools - are the root causes for placing First Nations children at risk. While these are also factors that could be realistically addressed, child welfare funding on reserves is so low that there are few resources to do so. The federal government's own documents acknowledge its funding does not support First Nations families to deal with problems before there is a crisis and the child needs to be placed in foster care. Importantly, there are evidence-based solutions jointly developed by the federal government and First Nations that would address the funding problems. Yet these solutions have never been implemented. A number of expert reports have already documented this funding inequality and the tragic impacts on children. In 2008, the auditor general of Canada confirmed that substantial shortfalls in federal child welfare funding on reserves are jeopardizing children's safety. In previous reports, she also found First Nations children receive substantially less elementary and secondary school funding per capita than other Canadians enjoy. The multiplier effect of this inequality across essential children's programs creates a perfect storm of disadvantage for First Nations children. The legacy of a 5-year-old boy named Jordan River Anderson provides a way forward. This child spent more than two years in hospital unnecessarily because the federal and provincial governments could not agree on who should pay for his at-home care. If he had been non-aboriginal, he would have gone home as soon as doctors said he was ready. Instead, he was left to languish in hospital while government officials argued over which level of government would pay. Jordan died in the hospital never having spent a day in a family home. This tragic incident led to the creation of "Jordan's Principle," which states that where government services are available to all other children, the government of first contact pays for the child's service and argues about funding jurisdiction with other governments later. Jordan's Principle was passed unanimously by the House of Commons in December of 2007. If it was fully implemented, the inequalities in child welfare and education on reserves would be a page in history instead of a current and tragic reality. It is time to take action to ensure a better future for First Nations children and families. One hopeful development is the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal hearings into the federal government's role in funding child welfare for First Nations children. The public tribunal began on Sept. 14 and was set to continue on Nov. 16. Jordan's Principle, along with other solutions-oriented evidence, was to be presented at the hearings. Unfortunately, a surprise ruling two weeks ago by the newly appointed Canadian Human Rights Tribunal chair has put the tribunal hearings on hold for reasons that are not entirely clear. Tribunal participants are now seeking answers and hoping for a quick resolution. Whatever the cause for the delay, the outcome of the adjournment is more than procedural as First Nations children continue to suffer from a seriously strapped child welfare system. Every moment spent waiting for the resumption of the tribunal represents a day of lost opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of First Nations children who deserve better. Much is at stake for all of us. First Nations represent the fastest growing population of young people in Canada. More than one in three aboriginal people are younger than 15 years of age, compared with fewer than one in five non-aboriginal people. The World Health Organization says that one of the best investments governments can make is in children's programs, noting that every dollar invested in quality programs for children results in $7 in returns to society over the long term thanks to improved outcomes in health, education and social inclusion. More importantly, inequality robs all of us of benefiting from the enormous contributions that could be made by First Nations children if they had an equal shot at success. As First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Director Cindy Blackstock reminded all of us in her opening statement to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in September "When the children receive equity and are able to grow up in their families proud of who they are - we all win." The children are growing up before our eyes. It is time to act to ensure they are treated equally. There is no time to waste. Paul Martin, former prime minister of Canada, and Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, are signatories of the I Am A Witness Campaign, pledging to follow the developments of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal looking into federal funding of First Nations child welfare funding. [Illustration] Caption: LIAM SHARP PHOTOGRAPH / Ottawa provides about 22 per cent less funding per capita for child welfare on reserves than other children receive. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/ff32ac32/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 13:56:23 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 14:04:33 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Improvements to CLBC's Eligibility Criteria: British Columbia Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123135615.0347db10@ncf.ca> "...a comprehensive approach that assesses issues of significant limitations in adaptive functioning for adults who have a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)..." .http://www.communitylivingbc.ca/news_and_events/whats_new.htm Community Living British Columbia News and Events November 3, 2009 Improvements to CLBC's Eligibility Criteria On October 31, 2009, the Province deposited a regulatory change for new eligibility criteria for CLBC. The change creates a new set of criteria that is separate from the existing CLBC eligibility criteria and focuses on a different group of adults with support needs. The new eligibility criteria use a comprehensive approach that assesses issues of significant limitations in adaptive functioning for adults who have a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For example, the assessment will look at an individual's ability to function in areas such as self-care and independence at home or in the community. The regulatory amendment takes effect on January 31, 2010. People can begin applying for services on February 1, 2010. More information will be provided on this website as it becomes available. For more information, please see: Questions and Answers November 3, 2009 Cross-Ministry Transition Planning Protocol for Youth with Special Needs CLBC is one of nine government organizations who have developed this protocol on how they will work together to support youth with special needs and their families as youth transition to adulthood. The protocol provides consolidated information about existing government supports and services for young people between the ages of 14 and 25. The protocol also outlines the roles and tasks associated with the transition planning process including information about CLBC's role. For more information, please visit Into Adulthood and see the following documents: Cross Ministry Transition Planning Protocol for Youth with Special Needs Roles and Tasks for Transition Planning Team Members Fact Sheet Questions and Answers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/1eccb3b9/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 15:35:09 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 15:40:16 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Prisons short of mental health pros Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123152952.03566ba0@ncf.ca> "...'We're gaining awareness every day around fetal-alcohol syndrome and the number of offenders who are, in fact, brain-injured as a result of fetal-alcohol disorders..." http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/11/09/edmonton-inmates-psychological-help-shortage.html cbcnews Health Prisons short of mental health pros Last Updated: Monday, November 9, 2009 | 5:42 PM ET CBC News [Photo] Prison ombudsman Howard Sapers says mental health issues at fed Prison ombudsman Howard Sapers says mental health issues at federal prisons are a public safety issue. (Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press) Critical work with inmates in federal prisons is not being done because of a shortage of mental health professionals, the union representing those workers said Monday. "Some things are urgent like suicide attempts, those things get done first because they are deemed to be the highest priority, and stuff like programs and therapy tends to not get done," said Wayne Bennett, Prairies representative with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. "Probably the majority don't get anywhere near the therapy that the judge intended at the time that he or she sentenced them." 'Public safety a factor' The union's concerns are echoed by Howard Sapers, Canada's prison ombudsman as the federal correctional investigator. "Public safety is clearly a factor," Sapers said of the shortage of psychological programs for inmates. "At least 10 per cent are coming in with a significant diagnosed mental illness," Sapers said. "We're gaining awareness every day around fetal-alcohol syndrome and the number of offenders who are, in fact, brain-injured as a result of fetal-alcohol disorders. "So we could be seeing as many as a third of our offenders having a mental health issue." An increasing number of prison health-care staff are taking stress leave, Bennett said, and many are leaving their federal jobs for higher pay with provincial agencies. "It's been identified as a priority," said Gillian Pranger, media relations officer for the Correctional Service of Canada. "The vacancy rates for psychologists and nurses are the highest in the Pacific and Prairie regions." In the meantime, Bennett said, the agency is scrambling to adjust. "Flying in contract nurses from B.C., begging nurses at the regional psychiatric centre to travel for a month or six weeks," Bennett said, "and provide services so that the staff who are there, you know, and are subminimal in numbers don't absolutely burn out." The Correctional Service of Canada has begun a program to recruit more psychologists, psychiatrists and nurses and keep the ones they have, said Pranger. But she couldn't say whether that program would include more competitive pay scales. Story comments (28) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/20ec946f/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 23 16:05:25 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 23 16:10:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?Canada_needs_a_national_chil?= =?iso-8859-1?q?dren=92s_?= commissioner Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091123160516.0361d840@ncf.ca> "...'Too many children are in the child welfare and justice systems and too few are receiving adequate mental health care...." "...calling for a national children?s commissioner. Legislation is currently before Parliament to establish this office...." www.canada.com 20 Nov 2009 Ottawa Citizen BY NIGEL FISHER is president and CEO of UNICEF Canada. Canada needs a national children?s commissioner Today marks the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. [Photo] PATRICK KOVARIK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Parisian schoolchildren form a human chain reading ?SOS? to mark the approach of the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its adoption by almost every country ushered in a revolutionary new consensus on childhood. In ratifying the convention, nations acknowledged children are not only members of families, communities and nations, but human beings in their own right. To grow up healthy, develop to their full potential and be protected from harm are not privileges, but the fundamental rights of every child. For governments, such as Canada?s which ratified the convention, assuring the fulfillment of the rights of children was no longer simply an option, but an obligation. During the course of my career at UNICEF, which began before the convention was adopted and has taken me around the world, I have seen f irst hand the convention?s power to inspire and deliver measurable change for children. It has provoked changes in law, increased investments in children?s services, caused international organizations to rethink how they work, spurred governments to change how they hold themselves accountable for children?s rights and well-being, and changed societal attitudes toward childhood. We have made some progress. For the first time in history, the number of children under five dying each year has fallen below 10 million. More children than ever before are enrolling in, and completing elementary school. And millions of children are better protected now by laws that make child trafficking a crime. In Canada, we see the impact of the convention in many areas. Today, most provinces have independent advocates for children. Our legal framework to protect children from exploitation is among the strongest in the world. But there remains much unfinished business. The real test of our commitment to children?s rights is not how well the majority is doing, but how well the most vulnerable children ? those marginalized by poverty, gender, ethnicity, geography and ability ? are faring. Globally, we must give particular attention to those children who are most often victims of violence, abuse and exploitation or whose lives are disrupted by conflict and natural disaster. We must build a protective environment for them with laws, policies and practices to assure their rights. And, we must challenge social norms that undermine their rights. The persistent challenges of HIV and AIDS, discrimination and poverty demand renewed commitment to the right of the world?s children to survive and thrive, especially at this time of economic crisis. Now is precisely the time to maintain our investment in children and to safeguard their well-being. Here in Canada, we must not become complacent. We are a wealthy country, yet about one in nine children lives in poverty. Too many children are in the child welfare and justice systems and too few are receiving adequate mental health care. On every indicator of well-being, our aboriginal children fare worse than Canada?s children overall. Amazingly, it is difficult to assemble even such basic facts about Canadian children. At the federal level, there is no one with the responsibility to call attention to children?s best interests, to bring together information and analysis on the status of our nation?s children and to ensure that when legislation, policy and budgeting are developed, regular consideration is given to their impact on children. This is why UNICEF Canada, along with many organizations and citizens, are calling for a national children?s commissioner. Legislation is currently before Parliament to establish this office. I urge all parliamentarians to ensure the bill is passed. On the international stage, as Canada prepares to host the G8 and G20 meetings next year, we must resolve to keep the promises we?ve made to the world?s children even as we deal with pressing economic, social and environmental concerns. A G8 commitment to further invest in children?s well-being would be an historic and forward-looking legacy. The 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is an opportunity to celebrate achievements, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to recommit to a promise made. We can do more. Each of us has the power to help create a world fit for children and to help ensure that the rights of all children everywhere are fulf illed. A world fit for every child without exception, is a world fit for everyone. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091123/555bed99/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Nov 27 10:39:27 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Nov 27 10:46:15 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Winnipeg students with fetal alcohol spectrum publish book Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091127103920.041269e8@ncf.ca> "...Living and learning with FASD: Jilly's Story..." Winnipeg students with fetal alcohol spectrum publish book Carol Sanders. CanWest News. Don Mills, Ont.: Nov 22, 2009. Winnipeg Free Press WINNIPEG - Not everyone can say they're a published author. But some kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder at Winnipeg's David Livingstone Community School can. One of them is Dani Kaye. Until she was in Grade 2, Dani was an elective mute - she chose not to speak. "Back then, she just shut down," said her older brother, Chris. "Now you can't get her to shut up. "She's a typical teenager." That's a ringing endorsement for her school's Bridges program, which has helped to draw out the best in the Grade 8 girl with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder. "I want to be a photographer or an actress," she said, after posing for photos and autographing copies of a book written by her and other kids. Living and learning with FASD: Jilly's Story, launched Friday, is believed to be the first book of its kind written and illustrated by kids living with effects of the disorder. It's a frank discussion of what FASD is, how they got it and how they cope. "I love it," said Dani's grandmother and guardian, Shirley Cyr. "I think a lot of parents would be helped by it." FASD is a term used to describe a range of disabilities that can affect people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant. Theresa Larabie is raising her granddaughter, Kaitlin, 14, who also authored the book. "You need a lot of help and resources," said Larabie, who said not enough is known about FASD. She's grateful her granddaughter had the Bridges program to her help her learn how to cope - and to teach her grandmother. "She taught me how to work with her disability," said Larabie. "Simple things like colours, lights and activities and noises" can be problems for people with the disorder, said Larabie. "I couldn't take her to Walmart." At home, Kaitlin wouldn't stay in her room. "It had wallpaper that was full of flowers," said Larabie. Colours and patterns can be too much for those with FASD, she said. "They can't relax." In the book, the children talk about their brains being a tool kit, with some things coming easier to them than others. Some of the children are more expressive and sociable, but have a hard time with too many people talking at once, or with their motor skills like playing sports. Dani and her co-author classmates in the program giggled as a DVD version of their book was played and they listened to the narrative they recorded back when they were in elementary school. It's taken a few years and a few administrators to get the story they wrote and illustrated published with $5, 000 funding from the provincial government. But it's been worth it, said Deb Thordarson, one of the pioneers of the Bridges program and the teacher who pushed for the book's completion. "We've had such a positive response." She said they've shipped 100 copies of the book to the Northwest Territories and sold another 250 copies at $20 a copy. Thordarson tells her students they're in the "gifted class" because they have lots of gifts to share, said school psychologist Al Kircher with the Child Guidance Clinic. Taking that approach draws out the best in children and helps them build on their strengths, he said. So far, the positivity of the Bridges program has worked for many children. Kaitlin, now in Grade 9, attends regular classes in high school and avoids negative influences. "She separates herself from them and looks for good influences and friends, " said her guardian and grandmother, Theresa. "She has to make her own choices," said Larabie. Kaitlin knows too well the heartache that can follow bad ones, she said. "Look at her mom - she drank and took cocaine for the first five months (of her pregnancy) - and how it affected her. She lost so much." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Credit: Carol Sanders; Canwest News Service -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091127/f8d3d5ab/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 30 11:52:46 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 30 11:52:17 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Substance abuse driving up CAS caseloads and risks for children Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091130115239.02051a28@ncf.ca> [no mention of alcohol] http://www.saultthisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2190464 Sault Ste. Marie This Week Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault News Substance abuse driving up CAS caseloads and risks for children Posted By BOB MIHELL Posted 3 days ago [as of Nov. 28, 2009] An increase in case loads related to substance abuse for dependencies on drugs is a significant factor driving up costs for the Algoma Children's Aid Society. "I think it is of significance and is driving some of the cost factors we are experiencing," Jim Baraniuk, executive director of CAS, said Friday. "What we're seeing over the past couple of years as a trend is for the families we are working with, on an ongoing basis, many of them have significant substance abuse dependencies, such as oxyContin, or cocaine." He said that these dependencies had "elevated the risk" for children in those family situations, and contributed to a sharp increase in court ordered costs absorbed by the local agency over the past few years. Those court related costs have led to a $356,752 increase in spending that CAS has paid since the formula was set by the provincial Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services almost two years ago, Baraniuk said. CAS has also absorbed during the past two years, since the provincial funding formula was set, an additional cost increase of $467,015 for children in specialized group care homes as an outcome of increases in per diem rates of as much as 50 per cent, for those residential facilities approved by the Ministry. Baraniuk gave, as a third example, an increased expenditure of $159,000 for drug testing related to court protection evidence that Algoma's Children's Aid Society has a legal obligation to pay. "We're doing more drug testing related to the higher level risk for many of the families we have now because of drug dependencies," he said. "Those are not cost drivers that we created, but they are not picked up in the current provincial model. It is examples like these that are clearly uncontrollable." Those and other factors have contributed to a current $2.4 million budgetary shortfall facing CAS. Baraniuk said that they had communicated their concerns to David Zuccatto, the regional director for the Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services on Oct. 30 at a formal review of CAS's budget allocations. "We provided the regional director with information as to where all the uncontrollable cost drivers were related to our budget," he said. "I am confident the Ministry is going to make the right decision when it comes to addressing our deficit situation." Baraniuk said also that CAS had met with Ministry officials and Sault MPP David Orazietti to express their concerns about funding shortfalls arising from the Province's established formula. He said that those meetings were productive. Orazietti said Monday that he and his government were very much aware that budgetary adjustments were needed, but also stressed that his government had already increased financial assistance significantly to the local agency to help meet cost increases. "Everyone locally is doing a fantastic job to deliver the needed services, but costs have increased significantly," Orazietti said. "CAS is under review, and some considerations will be made in the budget for the new year. Our expectation locally is that will occur." Orazietti added that part of the problem was that the provincial funding formula established two years ago needed more "flexibility" built in to recognize the "growing and added costs" facing CAS today. On that point, Baraniuk was in full agreement. "We have met with our MPPs and they have been positive with us," he said. "I think they do understand the lack of resources in the north. And certainly, what we tell them around the provincial funding formula not working in the north, is often what the hospital, and school boards would be telling them." But Baraniuk said the main problem was not the total amount of money available for the child welfare system. "It is simply a matter of how the money is distributed." He said right now provincial agencies were "caught in a one size fits all approach out of Toronto .We have demonstrated [locally] that we are an efficient organization. Our unit costs are very good compared to other parts of the region and provincially," Baraniuk said. "But we really need to take a different kind of look from the government's end around realigning the resources, because often a lot of those resources are embedded in the Toronto area." As an example, Baraniuk noted that the Algoma Children's Aid Society places 80 per cent of the children in its care in family based homes. In Toronto, he said that 40 per cent of the children were in family based care, and 60 per cent in the highest purchased service care through private operators. "So I think maybe the south can learn a bit from the north related to models of efficiency. I think everyone would agree it is very clear that the best outcome for a child is living within a family," he said. "I think we have to look at that approach right across the province and certainly in the Toronto area where more children are in group care and private care providers at a very expensive cost. Maybe there needs to be a different look at developing key resources like foster parents. They are the best option." Baraniuk said that another key issue facing the north and Algoma District was that our communities lacked the resources available to families for support in the Greater Toronto Area and southern Ontario. As an example, he pointed out that if a child had acute mental health needs the only option locally would be to place that child in the pediatric ward at our hospital. "But many other communities have short term stabilization units where the child can go and seek the treatment they need. And then they can plan for where he or she can be placed in terms of residential needs, and hopefully to return home," he said. "Right now, the only option we have is the pediatric ward of the hospital, or where things break down at home and a child comes into our care, we can only move that child 600 miles away to Southern Ontario to a group facility at a very high cost." Baraniuk concluded: "We're really missing some key resources that certainly drive our costs up. I often say child welfare often becomes the default for communities with not enough adequate resources in the community, and parents don't have the resources to cope." Article ID# 2190464 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091130/08bbc89f/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 30 11:53:01 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 30 11:52:21 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Is drinking alcohol the new smoking? Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091130115252.042f4290@ncf.ca> [No mention of FASD or pregnancy] http://newsdurhamregion.com/article/140908 newsdurhamregion.com Is drinking alcohol the new smoking? Studies link booze and cancer; researchers work to find solutions to lessen the impact of drinking on society Nov 24, 2009 - 02:16 PM By Judi Bobbitt DURHAM -- The season of holiday parties is well underway and most people by now are well aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. But if you're planning on consuming alcohol, and you won't be driving, you still might want to think twice before you accept a second or third drink -- if you care about your health. Research has now solidly established alcohol as a known carcinogen, linked to more than 70 chronic conditions and a contributing factor in cancer of the breast, mouth, liver, larynx, colon and more. "Three drinks or more is the new smoking," says Dr. Jurgen Rehm, a senior scientist at the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "Never have more than two drinks at any one sitting." Dr. Rehm is currently working in collaboration with the World Health Organization to develop a "global alcohol strategy" in 2010, that will encourage all countries to monitor alcohol and its related harm, with an eye to reducing its negative impacts. "It's a very important step," he says. While alcohol as a known carcinogen is not news to the medical or scientific communities, Dr. Rehm acknowledges public awareness on the matter is still "relatively low", despite more media attention during the past several years. A 2007 media report authored by Dr. Rehm and colleague Dr. Norman Giesbrecht noted the risk of breast cancer is "significantly increased" with regular consumption of just 18 grams of alcohol daily, slightly more than the standard serving of a bottle of beer, one glass of wine or shot of liquor. Dr. Giesbrecht puts it in perspective: "Public awareness with alcohol is where the public was with smoking 30 or 40 years ago." He is currently engaged in alcohol research looking at how community-based initiatives can be effective. The long-term trend will see alcohol consumption come down, Dr. Rehm predicts; he says a WHO report has found alcohol consumption globally has more negative effect on society than smoking. It might be difficult for some to wrap their heads around the health risks of a legal drug sold by the government. Alcoholic beverages are ingrained in our society, and the two scientists are quick to point out they're not suggesting prohibition as a solution. Most adults in Ontario, an estimated 78 to 80 per cent, drink alcohol. It is the most prevalent drug being abused, according to the Pinewood Centre in Durham Region, where 1,800 adults and 350 youths pass through the doors of the treatment centre's community offices annually in Ajax, Oshawa, Port Perry and Bowmanville. But most Ontario drinkers are not in alcoholic territory; Paul McGary, director of Pinewood, says the treatment industry uses a standard formula that suggests at any given time, 10 per cent of a population has an active substance abuse issue. Of that 10 per cent, only a fraction -- another 10 per cent -- will seek help. In Durham Region, that translates into a rough estimate of 25,000 adults with substance abuse issues, with alcohol being the drug of choice for the majority. But even people who allow themselves three or four drinks at any given time are harming themselves, even though they would not consider themselves alcoholic, says Dr. Rehm. "More than three drinks a day is a problem," he says. "Individuals are more lenient with themselves. The limits get pushed and pushed." The notion of a glass of red wine being beneficial to the heart is not a one-size-fits-all fact, he says. An individual's risk factors for heart disease and breast cancer must be taken into account. Someone with a family history of heart disease and no history of breast cancer might do well with a glass; someone with a genetic risk of breast cancer might want to think twice. "We cannot make it less complicated," notes Dr. Rehm. "It depends on your personal risk profile." He says "not many Canadians" actually keep their consumption level to one glass a day. "You're both helping your heart and increasing the risk of breast cancer." Binge drinking, defined as five drinks or more in a sitting, is definitely something the scientist advises should "never" be done. Binge drinking even once a month has a detrimental effect on heart health. "We can advise everybody to stay away from three or four drinks," says Dr. Rehm, adding one drink is in the "grey zone. We never advise anybody who's abstaining to start drinking for health reasons. It makes no sense." [Sidebar] Alcohol by the numbers - Alcohol is a factor in one out of every 25 deaths globally, according to research by Dr. Jurgen Rehm - A study by Dr. Rehm and colleagues, looking at the avoidable cost of alcohol abuse in 2002, estimated Canada could save $1 billion a year, implementing measures such as raising alcohol taxes, lowering legal blood alcohol concentration limits and increasing the legal drinking age. Avoidable costs of alcohol included productivity losses of $561 million, health care $230 million, and criminality $178 million. - The LCBO reported net sales of $4.27 billion in 2008-09, and estimated the value of Ontario's illegal alcohol market at $681 million. - Cost of damages to society overall in the year 2002 was pegged at $17 billion for tobacco and $14.5 billion for alcohol, with illegal drugs at $8 billion, says Dr. Norman Giesbrecht. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091130/ac690c0f/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 30 11:53:22 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 30 11:52:25 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Alcohol costs society most Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091130115312.03ffc700@ncf.ca> [No mention of FASD or pregnancy] http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=baf23803-2967-4749-bd74-ea3e04c3d82c Times Colonist Victoria, British Columbia Alcohol costs society most Perry Kendall, Times Colonist Published: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 In a rather belated response to the editorial of Nov. 14, [Let's face reality on alcohol use] I would like to add my voice to your conclusion that it is indeed time to "face reality on alcohol use." In addition to the problems mentioned, such as fights, crashes and social costs, alcohol also plays a role in more long-term concerns such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and cirrhosis -- not only as a consequence of addiction, but primarily as a consequence of consumption at levels considered socially acceptable, but which are clearly linked to organ damage. Combining the short- and long-term consequences, we know that alcohol costs the province about $2.2 billion annually, compared to $2.3 billion for tobacco and $1.5 billion for illegal drugs. These figures include health, enforcement and lost labour productivity (absenteeism) costs. In fact, the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. has estimated that direct alcohol-related social costs (health and enforcement) in B.C. exceeded government revenue from alcohol by approximately $62 million in 2002, the latest year for which data is available. Facing the reality of alcohol will require a multi-sectoral approach and a comprehensive array of initiatives. Perhaps most importantly it will require recognition that our most popular recreational drug, despite its legality, carries with it substantial dangers and costs. The December 2008 provincial health officer report on alcohol recommends a number of measures which, based on evidence from many jurisdictions, need to be considered. The government's moratorium on growth in liquor outlets, focus on sales to minors and the recent introduction of a mandatory interlock program are steps in the right direction. Perry Kendall Provincial Health Officer Victoria -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091130/f9c12312/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 30 12:44:04 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 30 12:46:13 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Lessons learned. It's not a return to institutionalization. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091130124355.03ffbf50@ncf.ca> ?...'These clients have brain injuries, fetal alcohol syndrome and psychosis, which make it appropriate that they live in a licenced care facility.'...? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/lessons-learned/article1372531/ Globe & Mail British Columbia Mental Health Lessons learned It's not a return to institutionalization. But as more patients extend their stay at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, results suggest many cannot be integrated back into the community without significant support. Wendy Stueck Burnaby, B.C. ? From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 11:36PM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 3:14AM EST [Photo] Christopher McPartlin in his room at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions. The seven months he has been at the centre have helped to stabilize Mr. McPartlin?s life. For The Globe and Mail In Christopher McPartlin's room, shoes are lined up by the door, a house plant trails its tendrils from a shelf and the walls are covered with posters for heavy metal band Iron Maiden. There is no chaos here, other than the riot of colours in the posters, and that suits Mr. McPartlin just fine. He's had chaos to spare in years gone by. ?It's a clean environment. You're not surrounded by drugs and alcohol,? Mr. McPartlin, 46, told a visitor recently at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, where he's lived since April. Mr. McPartlin has used cocaine and heroin since his teens and tried and failed other treatment programs. A powerful-looking man with a gravelly voice, he was homeless before he came to the centre and ?spent so long on Hastings Street that you could call me an old-timer.? Anger is his biggest mental health issue. He admits to one relapse, a pot smoking episode that was uncovered by a urine test, before he settled in to the centre's routine. The seven months he has been here have helped to stabilize Mr. McPartlin's life, an outcome designers intended when they launched the centre in mid-2008 to treat people with multiple disorders, including mental illness, substance abuse and related health problems such as HIV, hepatitis and tuberculosis. Opened amid a rising outcry over the visibly homeless and mentally ill on the Downtown Eastside, the purpose of the centre is to keep patients from bouncing between jail cells, emergency rooms and the street. Mr. McPartlin has, so far, broken free from that cycle. He's talking about going to college and becoming a counsellor. His success has not come easily, or cheaply. Mr. McPartlin will probably leave in about three months. But other patients have been at the centre since the day it opened 17 months ago. The average stay, once expected to be nine months, is now looking more like a year. That is not the only surprise. Results to date at the fledgling centre show that some people will need extensive support for a long time, possibly the rest of their lives. In a different era, that would have been called institutionalization, an approach British Columbia turned away from over the past few decades. No one is calling the Burnaby Centre a return to institutionalization, whatever the similarities. But the early findings from the project suggest that even an intensive, integrated program is not enough to give the most profoundly ill people the ability to live successfully on their own. [Photo] For The Globe and Mail Patient Marcie Smith in her room at the Burnaby Center for Mental Health and Addictions. ?The lessons learned in the care of this client population thus far is that about 40 per cent will not be able to be integrated back into their communities without significant supports,? says a draft report being prepared by Vancouver Coastal Health and provided to The Globe and Mail. ?These clients have brain injuries, fetal alcohol syndrome and psychosis, which make it appropriate that they live in a licenced care facility.? The report says that about 40 per cent of clients will require a ?high level of support? to function and sustain recovery and will require long-term residential care; about 50 per cent will require ?ongoing support? to function independently, including daily supervision, continuing outreach and health supports around the clock. Only 10 per cent will be employable or capable of living independently with some support. Given the scarcity of housing resources targeted to this population, ?it will be essential to create new treatment and housing options going forward,? the report says. One option would be for Crown-owned BC Housing to buy and maintain a long-term care facility in which health authorities would provide services and support, the report says. This is likely to be a tough sell to a provincial government already in cost-cutting mode. The Burnaby Centre itself, with a relatively rich budget of $14-million a year for a 100-bed facility, already stands out as an ?expensive? model. But that dollars-and-cents reckoning doesn't measure the costs of not providing the service, its proponents say. ?What we are trying to accomplish, and really convince our colleagues and health authorities of this ? if you have a chronic condition, you need to provide services across the continuum,? said Michael Krausz, an addictions specialist and the medical director of the centre. ?It doesn't make sense to have a very intense 10-day intervention and then send them back to the street with no care, no support, no nothing. No housing. Then it is a waste of money. And not only a waste of money, but it puts people at risk.? Costs to police departments, courts and emergency rooms factor in to the equation. Over a 16-day period in 2007, 31 per cent of calls, or about $9-million worth, to Vancouver Police involved people with mental illness, says the draft report. One recent study found that 35 per cent of visits to selected Canadian emergency departments by homeless people were related to mental and behavioural disorders. And early intervention is the ?only way, over the long-term, that the health authority will be able to manage its burgeoning costs.? Vancouver alone has an estimated 2,000 street kids, the report says, a majority of whom are using drugs. Untreated, those kids will probably be unproductive and ?an economic burden over their entire lifetimes.? The Burnaby Centre is reaching only 100 people at a time when thousands need help, Dr. Krausz concedes. It's trying to stretch its capacity by linking to supportive housing agencies and community groups. The facility runs on harm-reduction principles. That means people can be admitted when they are still using drugs or alcohol. (Admittance is voluntary, except for people who are committed under the Mental Health Act.) People can be readmitted after relapses. Each patient in the centre, a non-descript building on provincially owned land across from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, gets a private room once they are considered stable enough. In a spotless cafeteria, there are bowls of fruit on the table and a wallboard that lists daily activities, which on any given day could include yoga, computer tutorials or group therapy. Once stable, patients are expected to participate in activities, which might be as basic as cleaning their rooms. At the same time, they're being treated for mental health issues and health concerns, which might range from rotten teeth to cancer. For his part, Mr. McPartlin feels he's got a handle on his life. He's on methadone for his drug habit. On the mental health side, he describes one group session that resulted in a shouting match between him and another client; after things calmed down, he was surprised when staff congratulated him. It might have been a blowout, but at least he hadn't hit anybody. ?In the past, I'd step right up to violence,? said Mr. McPartlin, who grew up with an alcoholic, abusive father and first tried heroin as a teenager. ?That's what I knew.? One steady source of referrals to the Burnaby Centre is the Vancouver Downtown Community Court, set up last year to deal with drug and other offences in downtown Vancouver. Many offenders who come before the community court are both mentally disordered and have a substance abuse problem, said Judge Thomas Gove, the court's presiding judge. ?We aren't going to break the cycle unless we have a place that can deal with their total health needs,? said Judge Gove, whose support for the community court concept stemmed in part from frustration over the cycle of drug-driven crime in the Downtown Eastside. For Marcie Smith, the centre is the first place where she feels all of her problems are being addressed. A resident of 11 different foster homes in her youth, Ms. Smith is now 41 and for the first time in a long while feels more hopeful about her future. ?For the first time, the 23 years of substance abuse, my childhood ? it's totally being dealt with,? said Ms. Smith, who was referred to the centre after being checked into a Lower Mainland hospital for drug-related psychosis. Now, she greets a visitor with a beaming smile, her face framed by dangling golden earrings. She allows herself the occasional extravagance now that she's taking care of herself, she said. She talks daily to two daughters who live elsewhere in the province. Like Mr. McPartlin, Ms. Smith is a peer support worker, helping other clients with matters such as whether they're ready for an unescorted bus trip. ?I am so proud of my life,? Ms. Smith said. ?I never thought that would happen. But it did.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20091130/29b57aa1/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Nov 30 15:58:34 2009 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Nov 30 16:04:20 2009 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Booze during pregnancy like Russian roulette Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091130155827.04393190@ncf.ca> http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2197848 The Sault Star Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario News Canada Booze during pregnancy like Russian roulette Posted By CATHY DOBSON, SUN MEDIA Posted 2 days ago [as of November 30, 2009] Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can impact the brain, yet 30 per cent of pregnant women still drink, says a leading expert on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Donna DeBolt, an advocate for children and adults debilitated by prenatal exposure to alcohol, conducted a recent two-day workshop in Sarnia for frontline children's services workers. "We don't know how much alcohol it takes to have an impact," she told about 50 workshop participants at the Lambton Inn. "So drinking at all is like playing Russian roulette. "The best message we can get out there is that if you drink, don't get pregnant." In Canada, it's believed about 360,000 people live with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Ten per cent have specific facial characteristics including eyes that appear to be a farther apart than usual and a thin upper lip. The other 90% look normal but have difficulty processing information. The damage to their brains makes it difficult to learn from the consequences of their actions, to stop impulsive behaviour and use sound judgment. "Their rate of development is the big issue. They get further behind as they grow older and they can't meet expectations," DeBolt said. "It leaves them frustrated and angry." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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