From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 2 12:28:49 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 2 12:34:21 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] The Melbourne Cup Class Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100102122826.03c20538@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 2 14:51:07 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 2 14:52:07 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Inclusive Education Conference Feb. 25-27 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100102145057.03c662c8@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 11:24:08 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 11:28:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] What a dime buys Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103112357.039ed408@ncf.ca> [an old email, but interesting - don't know what happened to the taxes] "...As a recent report prepared by two professors from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health makes clear, raising that tax to the equivalent of about 10 cents per drink would pay huge dividends. By their estimate: ...19 fewer cases of fetal alcohol syndrome each year...." www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.alcohol06dec06,0,5030452.story baltimoresun.com What a dime buys Our view: State lawmakers may be reluctant to raise taxes in an election year, but maintaining Maryland's low alcohol taxes in 2010 could prove perilous to all December 6, 2009 Conventional wisdom in Maryland's State House holds that lawmakers never, ever raise taxes in an election year. The notion is so deeply embedded in the Annapolis political class that it might as well be carved in marble and offered as the official state slogan. Yet abandoning that custom in 2010 would give state legislators an opportunity to strike a blow against alcohol abuse, underage drinking, murder, rape and other acts of violence across Maryland, while simultaneously sparing the public from the worst effects of budget reductions forced by the current economic downturn. That could not only prove a godsend for the state's most vulnerable residents and provide much-needed funding for schools, health care and other basic necessities that are on the government chopping board - it may also reduce the need for local governments to raise property taxes in the near future. All that is required is the political will to raise Maryland's excise tax on alcohol, an assessment that's been kept so low for so long that it has become a hindrance to the public's health and well-being. The tax currently amounts to about one penny a drink for beer and two cents for wine and distilled spirits, rates left untouched by inflation for so long, they've become among the lowest in the nation. As a recent report prepared by two professors from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health makes clear, raising that tax to the equivalent of about 10 cents per drink would pay huge dividends. By their estimate: 14,987 fewer cases of alcohol dependence, 37 fewer deaths (many of them traffic-related), 13 fewer rapes, 316 fewer assaults, 21 fewer robberies, 67 fewer incidents of severe violence against children and 19 fewer cases of fetal alcohol syndrome each year. That may seem a leap of faith, but Professors David H. Jernigan and Hugh Waters say they have the real-world experience to back it up - dozens of studies showing that whenever states raise the tax on alcohol, drinking (and excessive drinking) declines. They predict the higher tax would reduce consumption in Maryland by slightly under 5 percent; the public health benefits accrue from that. The impact on underage drinking is particularly important as surveys show 1 in 4 high school-age Marylanders admit to being binge drinkers, meaning they consumed five or more drinks within two hours at least once in the past 30 days. About one-third of teen deaths are alcohol-related. The liquor industry is a potent political force in Annapolis and will no doubt offer the usual protestation that the tax would hurt tavern owners and other small employers. But a 5 percent loss in sales seems minor compared to the many lives saved. The higher tax would raise about $214.4 million in new revenues for a state that is already facing a budget shortfall next year of as much as $2 billion. Without the tax increase, the state is likely to reduce local aid, a decision bound to pressure the counties to raise property taxes - if not next year, then soon. If history is any guide, lawmakers are bound to be reluctant to raise taxes next year. But protecting the alcohol industry at the expense of schools and other vital services (not to mention bankrupting local government) may raise the ire of voters more. Polls have long shown a majority of Marylanders favor an alcohol tax increase. Voting nay on alcohol taxes next year may cause producers and distributors to pour a lot more money into campaign coffers, but it won't help state delegates and senators win re-election. Liquor taxes by state (per gallon) TOP FIVE Spirits Beer Table wine 1 Alaska $12.80 $2.50 $1.07 2 Alabama $18.78* $1.70 $1.05 3 Georgia $3.79 $1.51 $1.01 4 Virginia $20.13* $1.51 $0.2565 5 Washington $26.45 $.87 $.26 BOTTOM FIVE Spirits Beer Table wine 46 Texas $2.40 $0.20 $0.20 47 Missouri $2.00 $0.42 $0.06 48 MARYLAND $1.50 $0.40 $0.09 49 Wisconsin $3.25 $0.25 $0.06 50 Colorado $2.28 $0.28 $0.08 *All liquor sales controlled by the state; implied tax rate calculated by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. SOURCE: The Tax Foundation Readers respond As someone who has overindulged from time to time and has worked in the liquor industry, both sales and distribution, I wholeheartedly support this idea. It has been too long; the increase is minimal to the consumer and will help pull us out of our budget funk. However, there should also be some wholesale changes to the liquor laws - such as direct shipping of alcohol for Maryland residents and a move to the Michigan/Delaware/California model of redemption values for empties. That would make Maryland wineries more competitive and green our state. Chwirut This would be step two of a slow death to the business owners. Initially the city thought it would be a great idea to stop smoking in bars and restaurants in Baltimore, but this great idea has hurt the industry throughout the city. I suspect that 50 percent of my in-house customers have stopped supporting the activities I provide because of this law. I would expect another 50 percent loss in patrons after a tax increase. Small businesses like the local retailers are currently hurting. What's left will be the huge corporations that don't have a face in front of their customers. From the owners This is a regressive tax, like the lottery, that typically goes after the poor in favor of the affluent. If the goal is simply to raise taxes, than raising taxes such as this will increase revenue. If the goal is to reduce drinking, the effect of this proposal will be minimal until it is used again as an excuse to increase taxes. Keith Gabel The Sun is right. State legislators will be loath to raise the tax on alcohol. But not just because it's an election year. The alcoholic beverage industry is a top campaign donor, and its political action committees have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to state legislators to discourage this kind of tinkering with their bottom line. Mary Boyle -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/4bfd0095/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 11:30:24 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 11:34:11 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Doctor's advice: Jamaica Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103113017.039ece60@ncf.ca> http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20091206/out/out5.html The Gleaner, Jamaica DOCTOR'S ADVICE.... Published: Sunday | December 6, 2009 ...... Q. Doctor, to settle an argument with my friends, would you please tell me this. Is it safe to drink alcohol during pregnancy? I think it's OK to have an occasional drink. But my best friends and my mother maintain that I should not have any alcohol at all. Who is correct? A. They are. For decades, it was believed that drinking modest amounts of alcohol during pregnancy did not harm the unborn baby. However, in recent years it has become clear that alcohol is best completely avoided when you are pregnant. Numerous studies have shown that even small amounts of alcohol can damage the baby, particularly its brain. Regular alcohol consumption is more dangerous because it can give the child a serious condition called fetal alcohol syndrome, in which there is severe mental handicap. Sounds like you may have had a few drinks, but hopefully not many since you became pregnant. I think you should now make it an absolute rule not to consume alcohol for the duration of your pregnancy. That would also be a good rule for any other expectant mothers who are reading this article. ... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/fb01d9b1/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 11:47:29 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 11:52:07 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Defendor is an unlikely superhero: film Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103114722.039ec940@ncf.ca> "...Stebbings researched the characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome to background the character of his simple, well-intentioned hero..." http://www.kelowna.com/2009/12/06/defendor-is-an-unlikely-superhero-indie-low-budget-film-tells-story-of-misguided-vigilante-with-mental-health-issues/ Kelowna.com Kelowna, British Columbia Entertainment Defendor is an unlikely superhero; indie: Low-budget film tells story of misguided vigilante with mental health issues Sunday, December 6th, 2009 | 12:36 am Canwest News Service You don't want to wake Woody Harrelson from a nap, says Vancouver-born actor-director Peter Stebbings, who directed the American star in the indie Canadian superhero story Defendor. We'll have to take Stebbings' word for that, as Harrelson couldn't join Stebbings at this weekend's Whistler Film Festival, where Defendor screened last night. Stebbings wrote the movie and made his directing debut behind the camera, and when the movie screened at the Toronto festival this fall, Sony Pictures snapped up the U.S. and international rights. Not bad for a low-budget, Hamilton-filmed story about a guy who goes on a misguided quest to fight crime with some makeshift tools and a costume adorned with duct tape. Defendor looks at first like it'll be a comedy, but turns out to be a surprisingly touching character study. But back to Woody Harrelson's napping habits. The actor's name came up when Stebbings' script made the rounds in L.A. Stebbings got word that Harrelson loved the script, so Stebbings and his producer showed up one afternoon at the sleeping actor's Beverly Hills home. "Woody just wanted to meet me," says Stebbings. "Later I would learn that it's not a good idea to wake Woody Harrelson up from a nap, but it went all right that time. There was nobody answering the door. It was me and my producer wandering around his property." Harrelson came to the door and showed them in. "He was very cordial and a little slow to get his motor going at first. He was bringing food out of the fridge to offer us, like, is this still good?" For Stebbings, it was a perfect fit for the slightly simple Arthur Poppington, who dons a mask as the crime-fighting Defendor. "There was this kind of vetting process that Woody needed to do, two hours of hanging with him at his pad and playing pool." As to the nap thing, "I remember one time meeting Woody and he had a black eye. I was like, 'what happened?' and he says 'this friend of mine woke me up from a nap and I started swinging.' Woody had instructions for the third A.D. when he was on set?she was to wake him up in a very specific manner. Basically, he's a man who cherished his sleep, for sure." Stebbings, who got his acting start at Vancouver's Lord Byng secondary and the Vancouver Youth Theatre before joining the cast of the Vancouver-filmed teen drama series Madison, has made his home in Toronto since the mid-1990s TV series Traders. "But I'm from the West Coast, so my whole thing was I wanted to go back whenever possible," he says of taking the film to Whistler. "I said, 'Well, damn, I want to go." He shot the movie for just over $3 million, and the idea of a low-tech wannabe hero suited the budget, as well as making esthetic sense. Stebbings is an unabashed fan of superhero movies, joining the popcorn crowd for Iron Man and The Dark Knight. He came up with the story for his less-than-mega-budget drama by wondering what sort of person would don a mask and fight crime for real, without the super-technology available to Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark. "What it is really like to change into a costume in a phone booth? If you didn't have all those endless resources, how would you do it, and what type of person would do such a thing?" Stebbings researched the characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome to background the character of his simple, well-intentioned hero. "I didn't want to make it an issue-related film but I wanted to get his mental health issues right," Stebbings says. "The inspiration for the character himself comes from places like the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, people who do fall through the cracks. "Another thing that interested me was this grey area, issues about vigilantism. He's not a role model . . . We wanted to take him as seriously as he takes himself." Stebbings first wrote the script in 2004. They were filming in Hamilton this time last year, with a cast that also included American Kat Dennings as a street kid, as well as Canadians Elias Koteas as a crooked cop and Sandra Oh as a psychiatrist. "We didn't get all the money that we wanted . . . but there has definitely been a lot of luck and charm along the way," he says, adding friends at Vancouver effects house Artifex did their work at one-tenth their usual rate. He was heartened when star Harrelson agreed to a salary lower than the actor had taken since before his breakout on TV's Cheers. "I think the script opened a lot of doors. My whole thing that I'm interested in is, how do you get Canadians to watch Canadian film? The answer for me anyway is, you tell a compelling story with universal themes, and it doesn't hurt to have some big-name stars in it." gschaefer@theprovince.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/ae5bc9e0/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 11:52:43 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 11:52:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fitzroy Crossing kids traumatised: Australia Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103115235.039ec398@ncf.ca> http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/fitzroy-crossing-kids-traumatised/story-e6frg6nf-1225807939173 The Australian The Nation Fitzroy Crossing kids traumatised Paige Taylor From: The Australian December 08, 2009 12:00AM ABORIGINAL children at Fitzroy Crossing remain traumatised by their parents' drinking and violence more than two years after a landmark ban on full-strength takeaway alcohol was introduced in the Kimberley town. Western Australia's Commissioner for Children, Michelle Scott, expressed disbelief yesterday at a lack of services in the isolated town, where pediatricians estimate at least a quarter of children were affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. "This is a community that is in recovery mode but you can't just wipe away years of trauma for a child," Ms Scott said. Ms Scott, who visited Fitzroy Crossing last week for the second time in 18 months, said the region desperately needed a clinical psychologist who could help children deal with the pain and trauma of years of family violence and grief. She said that, by the age of four or five, many of the town's children had survived appalling family violence and endured the loss of several close relatives in alcohol-related suicides or to alcohol-related illness. "What a lot of these kids have experienced and witnessed really does need a range of positive interventions," Ms Scott said. "I couldn't believe the lack of services." At a coronial inquest into a string of Aboriginal suicides at Fitzroy Crossing in October 2007, one health worker said attempting suicide had become a form of self-expression and gave examples of a person who tried to kill himself because he could not get near a wine flask, and another who attempted suicide after being denied a can of beer. Severe alcohol restrictions were applied toFitzroy Crossing in October 2007 after a litany of Aboriginal deaths and suicides in which alcohol played a significant role. In February last year, West Australian Coroner Alastair Hope reported on the "seriously flawed" delivery of health and education services in his report on the alcohol or drug-related deaths of 22 Kimberley Aborigines, including the suicide of an 11-year-old boy. Revealing billions of dollars wasted as a result of confused government policy, and attacking a lack of leadership in indigenous affairs, Mr Hope said the plight of the indigenous children of the region was "especially pathetic" and described their future as bleak. Ms Scott said it was clear Fitzroy Crossing was a safer place for the more than 500 children who lived there. "The alcohol restrictions have had a profound impact on the community, for the better," she said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/e773dc8c/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 12:14:20 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 12:16:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] 'Your business is a means to an end' Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103121413.03c459e0@ncf.ca> "...she told me which kids suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome...." http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/gleaner/article/882484 New Brunswick Business Journal Breaking News 'Your business is a means to an end' Published Tuesday December 8th, 2009 Luke Randall The Daily Gleaner In October, I visited a good friend of mine. She is, by all accounts, an extremely successful corporate executive. Everyone around her is on top of their game. She works long hours, the company expects 110 per cent, and the pressure can be overwhelming. My friend is a Christian, not simply a religious adherent but a practising Christian. For instance, when she was hunting for an apartment, nothing was looking promising and time was running out, so she prayed out loud that the right place would appear. A friend who knew the city well was her guide and driver. On the way to the next viewing, they turned down the wrong street, and spotting a building, she told her friend, "Now that's the kind of building I could see myself living in." Her friend noticed the For Rent sign in the window. It wasn't otherwise advertised; it could only be found by driving past it. When she told me this story, she said, "Luke, my first memory is of the budding trees and the blooming flowers. The building looked gorgeous, and the street looked great." This was the first of March, in a cold city, on a street that houses a host of drug dealers. She took the apartment. I can assure you that, as I walked down that street a few weeks ago, I thought there was no way the friend I know would willingly choose to live there on her own. When I arrived, my friend walked up the street to meet me, a little girl trotting behind her. I was introduced, and we walked to my friend's place. We picked up a previous conversation, and the girl continued to tag along. My friend is single and childless. "Strange but sweet," I thought, as her little friend followed us into her house. Within five minutes, there was a knock at the door. I expected my friend to get up and open it, but instead, our conversation continued, and the child got the door without being asked. A second child appeared. As it turns out it was her older sister. Conversation ensued about where my friend and I would have dinner and before I knew it, she was digging in the cupboards for the kids' supper. Until now I had played along without questions. "Why start now?" I thought. After she found ingredients, I began grilling cheese sandwiches to feed the kids. Over dinner I got to hear a matter-of-fact tale about the girls' daddy chasing mommy around the house and about how he spent a night in jail afterwards. After hearing more tales, she shooed the kids out of her house with leftovers, and we took off for dinner. By the way she had found the apartment, she knew that there had to be a purpose in her living there. After a few months though, the tough street and an unstable landlord began to get to her. Too many things that would have forced me out long before had happened, and she, too, had had enough. Before she made the final decision, she prayed again: "Lord, show me what this street looks like through your eyes. Why did you put me here?" That's when the kids showed up. "I didn't ask for them, they just came," she said. I discovered that the kids are there morning, noon and night. Any time the door is unlocked, there are up to six kids in the house. She serves them food, teaches them manners, counsels them emotionally and does a weekly Bible lesson. She answers questions like, "Even though my Dad hasn't seen me for three birthdays, he doesn't call me, and doesn't visit, do you think he can still love me?" She credits God with her answer on that one, "He loves you; he just doesn't know how to show he does." The stories that continued were poignant. For instance, I hadn't realized how close my friend had come to physical harm during months of terror from drug dealers. She faced the problems after rustling up volunteers and $65,000 to supplant the local drug "park" with a new neighbourhood playground. As she told me more about the kids, the parents and the people who worked around them, I was floored. This woman works a long work week but she manages to personify in such a tangible way what Christ taught those who would become his real followers to do: Love God and love your neighbour as yourself. She and I left her house with a stream of kids of varying ages, who yelled her name, each vying for her attention. As we drove away, she told me which kids suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. She also told me about moms who had done hard drugs when they were pregnant, leaving children physically and mentally disabled. This woman, from the view point that most people see, is just another well-paid, workaholic business woman, presumably in it for the cash. As we head into the holiday season take time to remember your business is a means to an end. Take time to connect to something more than just another hour at work. Luke Randall is the owner of downtown businesses Endeavours and ThinkPlay. He can be reached at info@artstuff.ca. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/e70d0ac1/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 14:25:02 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 14:28:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Stars of Higher Education: Dr. Karyn Purvis, Renowned Child Development Researcher: Texas Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103142455.03cc7ba0@ncf.ca> "...In children adopted from the Eastern European block we were seeing a significant amount of fetal alcohol exposure,..." http://www.citytowninfo.com/career-and-education-news/articles/stars-of-higher-education-dr-karyn-purvis-renowned-child-development-researcher-09120903 CityTownInfo.com Marlboro, Massachusetts Stars of Higher Education: Dr. Karyn Purvis, Renowned Child Development Researcher By Heather O'Neill December 9, 2009 Dr. Karyn Purvis is on an amazing journey, one that even she could never have predicted. For years a stay-at-home mother raising three sons, when she found her nest empty she decided to go back to school to finish her undergraduate degree in psychology at Texas Christian University. Dr. Purvis received her undergraduate degree at TCU, and then some. She continued on to receive her masters and doctorate in Developmental Psychology from TCU and has spent the last 10 years developing research-cased interventions for children who have been traumatized in abusive homes and orphanages. Today, Dr. Purvis is the director of TCU's Institute of Child Development. In addition to her work with adopted and foster children, Dr. Purvis writes for scientific journals, parents magazines, and has co-authored with her colleague, Dr. David Cross. Published in 2007 by McGraw-Hill, The Connected Child: Bringing Hope and Healing to your Adoptive Family has earned rank as a best-selling book on adoption. In her "spare time," Dr. Purvis serves as expert witness in court cases of child abuse, testifies for state and national legislation, and speaks frequently to national and international groups. Recent trips have taken her to varied national groups from trainings for judges and CPS workers, to training international parents and professionals in England, Iceland, Scotland, Romania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Dr. Purvis' work has been featured in NBC Dateline, Fort Worth Weekly, Newsweek, Parents Magazine, and other publications. She and Dr. Cross were recently honored with the Dallas business journal Heroes of Healthcare Award. Dr. Purvis was awarded the T. Berry Brazelton, M.D. Infant Mental Health Advocacy Award, a state-wide award for child advocacy in January 2008. She was also awarded the title of Distinguished Fellow in Adoption and Child Development in August 2008 by the National Council for Adoption. In September 2008, Dr. Purvis was appointed Presiding Officer of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Committee on Licensing Standards by Governor Rick Perry. Even Dr. Purvis seems surprised by the twists and turns her life has taken, from mother to student to renowned child psychologist. "It has just been an incredible journey," she said in her soft Texas drawl. "I often feel like someone coming down from Mount Everest on a slide, with the slide buttered. It has been so incredible that I have just held on for dear life," she said, with a laugh. "When I came back to get a degree I never in my fondest imagination thought that I wanted a Ph.D. but once I began to fall in love with research I knew that with really competent research we could change the world for kids. But I had no idea the magnitude of the windows and doors that would open to me." Heather O'Neill: You went back to school later in life after raising your children. Did being a mom influence the research you are doing now? Dr. Karyn Purvis: I have three children of my own. Beginning when I was a young woman I was working in the ministry on the streets of Daytona Beach. A lot of what we did there was working with kids on the street who were runaways. We did a coffeehouse outreach there on the streets of Daytona. I started fostering teenage runaways. These were kids who were doing drugs and alcohol, and girls who were doing prostitution for money. Many of them had run away from abusing or neglectful homes. After that, when my boys started coming along, we fostered other children in our home. Heather O'Neill: When you say ministry, was that through your church? Dr. Karyn Purvis: My husband and I were in the ministry together. It was a fresh-out-of-college program called US2, or United States for Two Years. They placed folks who had just graduated from college in outreach in places where there hadn't been outreach, working with motorcycle gang men and teenage runaways. My ideas about family and so forth began to form a lot there and then as we started having our own children I fostered other children in our home. The when my baby boy went off to college I decided to go back and finish my undergraduate degree and then went through a Master's program and then got a Ph.D. I got my Ph.D. at age 53. Heather O'Neill: Did you know early on that you wanted to work with kids who had come from difficult circumstances? Dr. Karyn Purvis: I have always been drawn the a child who has come from what I call "the hard place." When I was a teen I mentored at-risk children. When I was in college I was a Big Sister to a child who was an abuse victim. The first job that we had [in the ministry] was to set up a group foster home. This has always been my passion. My first year [working at the Institute of Child Development], two moms came to us and said that they had adopted kids from Russia and Lithuania and that some things over time have gotten better but other things have gotten worse and worse and worse and would we do some research. It seems the at-risk child keeps finding me everywhere I go because it is my passion. Heather O'Neill: What does TCU's Institute of Child Development do? Dr. Karyn Purvis: The TCU Institute of Child Development has three primary functions. One is education for our students. We have developed a major and a minor and are working on some advanced degrees where when leave the Institute they leave uniquely informed and empowered... Research, is another. We have huge amounts of research of orphans in Romania. We've got research data on intervention studies... There is lots and lots in research about what is wrong with kids but our gift of research is what to do now. The third part of our work is about outreach [in the United States and abroad]. Heather O'Neill: What you are primarily studying are children who have been adopted internationally or through domestic foster care who have suffered different levels of abuse and neglect. Which parts of the world do you see as having the biggest problems with adoptees and how do you counsel these countries to improve the situation for the children? Dr. Karyn Purvis: We are seeing kids from all around the world [and] what we are finding is that the greatest period of brain development is in utero. So even if you are in the birthing room with the biological mother and you take a baby right from the hospital does not guarantee that there aren't serious issues. Different regions of the world have unique problems. For example, when we first started researching families who were adopting we found that, if the child was in the orphanage for four months, on average they lost one month of development because there wasn't enough stimulation. But if you adopted a child from Romania they were losing one month per every three months in an orphanage. So Romania had the most notorious care at the time. There was overcrowding. There were just staggering numbers of children in the orphanages. A little history lesson: When [Nicolae Ceausescu] was the president of Romania and Communism was reigning he wanted to build a mighty army. Women were forbidden from using contraception and the women were all working in factories where they were given monthly pregnancy tests to make sure that if you were pregnant that you didn't abort. Couples that were living in very impoverished environments were having a lot of children, all living in the same room with only a little bit of food. They were being forced to have children and if you didn't have five or six children for the state you were taxed. Ceausescu was executed on Christmas Eve 1989, and beginning the next week children were abandoned to orphanages in droves. It wasn't that parents did not love those children, it was that they did not have food or shelter for them, or even clothing. The system was not prepared for the weight of the orphans and in those early years the caregiver ration was abysmal. And what happened was that [American] families began to see these children on the news and their heartstrings were pulled and so families rushed to adopt those children with no idea of the profound cost life in the orphanages had on the child's development. We had a lot of great people who were adopting children without any idea how to help them heal... Many of those children came out of the orphanages with the backs of their heads flat and their eyes crossed, they had been in the crib for such a long time... In children adopted from the Eastern European block we were seeing a significant amount of fetal alcohol exposure, where people were so poor that they could get a higher amount of calories from alcohol than they could from food. The rate of exposure to alcohol there is very high. In regions like China, we are seeing higher levels of toxins, like lead paint and refinery emissions that are presenting health problems in kids. In this country you'll see kids with high exposure to drugs in utero. In Africa there are going to be changes in their brains from starvation and malnutrition. Really, every child that is available to adopt or foster comes from a hard place. In 1999, Dr. Purvis developed the Hope Connection, a research and intervention summer day camp for adopted children, which she directs to this day. Heather O'Neill: How do you handle kids in a camp setting who have such different issues and are facing such different obstacles and find a collective approach to healing them? Dr. Karyn Purvis: Children from different regions have different chemical changes in their brains... but to develop into a healthy, whole individual every child has to have certain things: they have to have touch, they have to have affection, they have to have nourishment, they have to know they are precious, they have to know they are safe and they have to know that if they cry someone will come. So even though the kids have come from vastly different backgrounds, they all still need the same stuff. We create a physical environment that provides the needs that have not been met. We feed them every two hours, we give them a play activity every two hours, we give them lots of water because one of the brain chemicals that fires is called glutamate, which is associated with violence. If the body is dehydrated it fires more rapidly. If you are familiar with Maslow's hierarchy, it is about basic needs being met. In other words, you can't think at a high level if you are hungry. You can't make good choices if you are afraid for your life. What he says is that the highest function comes from these lower needs being met. Heather O'Neill: How do you accomplish that beyond food and water? Dr. Karyn Purvis: By creating a sensory-rich environment. Think about what you do with a baby. You feed the baby, you change diapers and you hold and rock the baby. The baby is feeling your warmth, it is tasting your milk, and it is feeling protected. It is a sensory bath... We create an environment that we say is contact rich and sensory rich. We do things like touching them on the shoulder, looking them in the eye and touching them on the chin, and let them participate in behavioral activities that give them options and choices. For these kids, it is their trauma and their abuse that is making them afraid. We always say, Sad kids act angry and scared kids act crazy." We treat those behaviors. Heather O'Neill: Using Romania as an example, it seems that orphanage reform is something that your training could impact. Have you been able to have any influence in countries where the treatment of children in orphanages is the primary cause of their behavioral problems? Dr. Karyn Purvis: Yes. We have had some impact and some voice in several countries and have an ongoing opportunity to revisit those things in terms of bringing about change. But when I speak to someone in leadership in another country I say to them, this is not a problem of your country this is a problem of our world...There are over 140 million orphans worldwide and less than 1 percent of them will even have a family again. Heather O'Neill: How has your advice been received? Dr. Karyn Purvis: I think that these countries are aware of the problem and they haven't been defensive. Maybe that is because I am able to say that this is a worldwide problem and I am able to remind them that we have abysmal care for many of the children in the country. But at the same time when I am doing a training in Ethiopia and I am saying, "If we can feed these children every two hours we'll help their brains develop better and help them grow into healthier adults," I am told, "But we don't even have enough food but for one meal."...They are up against a huge tide. If you've got one meal for your children a day in an orphanage, and you've got no toys and you've got only the staff you can afford, facilitating change is going to be very difficult. I have been exceedingly blessed, both in this country and in others, to be able to try to cause influence at the care level and at the legislative level. So while I am able to work with orphanage workers, for example when I traveled to Africa, and visit the facilities and make some recommendations, at the same time I was able to meet with high ranking officials... Our work is blessed to be able to speak across the spectrum to care givers and legislators both. Heather O'Neill: With all of the successes, there must be some really heart wrenching situation where not much can be done to help a child. How do you handle that? Dr. Karyn Purvis: There are. At this very moment I can feel a little child in Ethiopia on my chest that probably didn't survive very long after I was there. (Chokes up.) To this very moment I can feel a six-year-old in my arms who tried to go home with me and two caregivers had to tear him out of my arms. To this moment I can remember a baby in Romania whose head was swollen larger than a helium balloon because she had water on her brain and I knew that she was dying, and that a 15-minute surgery would have saved her life. There are children here in the United States... I can feel them, I can see them all. But when I get my most discouraged and overwhelmed by the great need and the fact that there is so much pain the traumas of the children I see haven't happened to me in 60 years of life and in 2 or 3 or 4 years they see more trauma than most of us will see in 100. But when I get my most discouraged, one of my colleagues and the co-author of the book Dr. will remind me of the story of the man on the beach that he told me many years ago when I was weeping over the children. The man is walking down the beach and there has been a tidal wave and it has thrown all of these starfish up onto the shore. He is going down the beach and throwing them back into the water as fast as he can so that they won't die. A man walks by him and says, "You are a fool. You'll never get all these starfish back in the water." And the first man picks up a starfish and says, "No, I won't save them all, but here is one that I will." And he threw it back into the water. I go back to that story many, many times. There are so many kids, and there is so much pain and there are so many horrible things that have happened to these children but I can do what I can do. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/d7171b30/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:22:22 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 15:28:11 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Racial Disparities in Pregnancy-related Drinking Reduction Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20091217113859.03cc6898@ncf.ca> http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/710783 Medscape Today From Maternal and Child Health Journal Racial Disparities in Pregnancy-related Drinking Reduction Leigh E. Tenkku; Daniel S. Morris; Joanne Salas; Pamela K. Xaverius Authors and Disclosures Posted: 12/15/2009; Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2009;13(5):604-613. Abstract and Introduction Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the likelihood that women of different racial and ethnic groups would reduce their alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Methods Data came from 22 states participating in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2001 to 2005. After stratifying the sample by preconception drinking level, logistic regressions were used to predict drinking reduction and cessation by the third trimester by race, controlling for age, education, marital status, Medicaid status, pregnancy intention, smoking status, and state. Results Overall, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women were all significantly less likely than White women to reduce their heavy drinking after becoming pregnant. American Indian/Alaskan Native women who were moderate drinkers before conception were over 2 times more likely than White women to reduce drinking after becoming pregnant (OR 2.19, CI 0.71, 6.76), although this difference was non-significant (P = .17). Among those who binge drank in the months before pregnancy, compared to White women, Black (OR 0.26, CI 0.17?0.39), Hispanic (OR 0.19, CI 0.12?0.29.29), American Indian/Alaskan Native (OR 0.44 CI 0.20, 0.96), and Asian/Pacific Islander women (OR 0.11, CI 0.06?0.22) were all less likely to quuit binge drinking while pregnant. Conclusion Significant racial differences in pregnancy-related drinking reduction are evident, and may help explain racial disparities in FAS. Results suggest that more targeted efforts are needed to meet the national goals of preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Introduction Alcohol consumption by pregnant women is a significant public health problem. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and associated disorders are known to cause serious, incurable neurological and developmental problems, and are completely preventable.[1,2] Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the United States are estimated to cost over $4 billion each year in medical care and special education, with a lifetime cost of about $2 million for each child diagnosed with FAS.[3] Women who fail to reduce risky drinking during pregnancy are the most likely to have a child diagnosed with FAS.[4?7] Evidence on a saffe level of alcohol consumption for pregnant women is lacking,[2] and even low levels of alcohol exposure have been linked to fetal alcohol effects.[8,9] Despite efforts to educate women about the harmful effects of alcohol on a developing fetus, many women who are pregnant or may become pregnant still drink and binge drink. The Healthy People (HP) 2010 goals of 94% and 100% of pregnant women abstaining from alcohol and binge drinking, respectively, have not yet been met. In 2003, only 90.9% of pregnant women aged 15?44 abstained from alcohol.[10] Although an improvvement over the baseline rate of 86% in 1996?1997, progress still neeeds to be made. Alarmingly, binge drinking during pregnancy has increased in recent years, from 1.3% in 1996?1997 to 3.1% in 2003.[10] Racial and socioeconomic disparities in FAS rates exist in the United States. Previous literature has reported a higher prevalence of FAS among American Indians and African Americans than among Whites, and among lower income groups.[11,12] However, drinking and binge drinking are generally less common among these populations that have the highest prevalence of FAS.[13?18] These contrary findings may be explained by the fact that although some groups of women are less likely to drink alcohol, those who do drink may be more likely to be problem drinkers, unwilling or unable to quit drinking during pregnancy. Earlier FAS surveillance reports compared low socioeconomic status (SES) Black and American Indian populations to a middle SES White population, making an independent effect of race impossible to determine.[11] Several cohort studies of low-income pregnant women found that White women were more likely than Black women to quit drinking during pregnancy,[19???21] but these results are difficult to generalize to the larger population. Similarly, studies on national survey data have identified drinking patterns of pregnant and non-pregnant women separately, reporting that while White women were more likely to be at-risk for an alcohol exposed pregnancy, Black women may be more likely to drink while pregnant.[17,22,23] A longitudinal study did examine the pattern of women's alcohol use over preconception, pre-pregnancy recognition and post-pregnancy recognition time periods finding that the majority of women stopped drinking upon realizing they were pregnant.[24] This was a small sample of largely urban, White women and may not be generalizable to the more diverse US population of women. While the Tough study (2006) did use a longitudinal design, all other studies to date have been cross-sectional in design precluding any definitive claims of causation. The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a surveillance system that collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences. This cross-sectional survey of women from 37 states and two subpopulations (New York City and South Dakota, Yankton Sioux Tribe) who recently had a live birth, collects information on risk behaviors both before and during pregnancy, enabling a comparison of risk factors at two time points for each participant. Thus, data from the PRAMS can be used to directly assess pregnancy-related drinking reduction in the United States. As more states take part in the PRAMS, results are becoming increasingly generalizable to the population as a whole. Approximately 75% of all US live births are currently represented by PRAMS data. Using PRAMS data, the objective of this study was to identify whether women of various racial and ethnic groups were more or less likely to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy, after controlling for other factors. Based on FAS surveillance reports, it was hypothesized that Black non-Hispanic women and American Indian/Alaskan Native women would be less likely than White non-Hispanic women to reduce alcohol consumption during pregnancy. It was further hypothesized that differences in drinking reduction would depend on pre-pregnancy drinking levels. It was expected that women drinking at low levels before conception would have an easier time reducing alcohol consumption than women who were heavy drinkers before becoming pregnant.... Section 1 of 4 Next: Methods......... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/64c3f479/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:28:07 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 15:34:08 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Judge will sentence teen murderer in Calgary Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103152758.039d98e8@ncf.ca> "...The court is also awaiting a psychiatric report and a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum report..." http://www.westernwheel.com/2009/news/judge-will-sentence-teen-murderer-in-calgary-1204 Okotoks Western Wheel Okotoks, Alberta News Judge will sentence teen murderer in Calgary 16 December 2009 by Darlene Casten - Assistant Editor An Eden Valley teen will not be sentenced in Okotoks, despite concerns some people in his community may not be able to make the trip into Calgary. The 16-year-old youth, who cannot be named, admitted to inflicting a single fatal stab wound on his teenage uncle during a drinking party at a house on the reserve west of Longview on March 11, 2008. The stabbing victim was going to be sentenced for a similar crime a month after he was killed. Details about the murder will likely come out during the boy's sentencing Jan. 28. A judge will hear arguments from the Crown prosecutor and the boy's lawyer about his sentence at that time. The court is also awaiting a psychiatric report and a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum report that will also likely be discussed prior to his sentencing. Previously, Judge Victor Tousignant asked that Okotoks Provincial Court be contacted to check when the sentencing could be heard and said it would be preferable the case be concluded in the jurisdiction it occurred. However, in the end the sentencing had to be scheduled in Calgary. The youth will be sentenced on Jan. 28 in courtroom 304 in Calgary Provincial Court. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/f98b5c70/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:36:45 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 15:40:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Sobering message delivered to local students: Kirkland Lake, Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103153634.039d9e08@ncf.ca> "...In addition to these displays there was also one about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome..." http://www.northernnews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2223391 Northern News Kirkland Lake, Ontario Local News Sobering message delivered to local students Posted By RICK OWEN, NORTHERN NEWS Posted 18 days ago [as of Jan. 3, 2010] KIRKLAND LAKE - The Kirkland Lake Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition along with its community partners recently held Drug and Alcohol education and awareness days at KLCVI and ECJV. Students at both schools responded enthusiastically as they visited the information booths and took part in some interactive educational experiences. Again this year OPP Const. Emile Lamothe brought the Fatal Vision Goggles to both schools. When the students put them on they simulate what it is like to be impaired by alcohol. Not only do the students have difficulty in seeing properly they also experience balance and coordination problems. The students are asked to perform simple tasks like walking a straight line and soon realize the affects of being impaired. This year at ECJV the students came up with their own interactive display. With a toilet supplied by Chad Plumbing the students used various ingredients to mix up a substance to simulate vomit. They then put it into the toilet bowl and the students reached into the bowl searching for a pair of glasses. The students also placed educational messages on the toilet. KLDAAC hopes that participation by students in coming up with their own displays will continue to grow in the future. Another popular attraction at both schools was the mock tails. These are various drinks that can been made that are alcohol free and look similar to mixed drinks so people drinking them at a party would not only look the part they could enjoy a tasty alcohol free drink. In addition to these displays there was also one about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a drug display, and a display about drug and alcohol over doses. With the success of this year's events the coalition is looking a holding them again next year and will investigated ways to attract even more students. Due to H1N1 a Mothers Against Drunk Driving presentation that includes the use of three jumbo screens was cancelled. The KLDAAC plans on approaching KLDCS and ECJV as well as senior elementary schools and Northern College to see if the presentation can be brought to Kirkland Lake and shown to a larger number of people through a partnership arrangement. KLDAAC members agreed to make a financial contribution if the presentation goes ahead. For people in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction there is a new program in Kirkland Lake called Celebrate Recovery. It is based on the 12 Step Program and is offered every Thursday, 7 p. m. at the Brethren In Christ Church. Another means of getting the message to the community not to drink and drive is to give non-drinking drivers a small reward when they are stopped in a RIDE check. KLDAAC is investigating the possibility of having key tabs with a don't drink and drive message made up so OPP officers could give them out any time they hold a RIDE program. The KLDAAC is looking into ways it can facilitate programs that are specific to First Nations People who live in the area. The coalition is hoping make stronger ties with the First Nations Community so traditional programs can be offered that meet their needs in dealing with addiction. Article ID# 2223391 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/a2fa8149/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:43:41 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 15:46:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Building a healthier community one note at a time: Vancouver Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103154333.039da3b0@ncf.ca> "...A music therapy program aimed at kids dealing with fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit disorder and autism and whose behaviour makes it difficult for them to sit in a formal classical music class started in October..." http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/artsandentertainment/story.html?id=4fcf2dc4-b712-43e9-aa00-54d46bafb238 The Vancouver Courier Building a healthier community one note at a time Inner city music academy in tune with kids' needs Cheryl Rossi Vancouver Courier Wednesday, December 16, 2009 [Photo] CREDIT: Photo by Dan Toulgoet Young musicians enrolled in St. James Music Academy gear up for their Christmas concert today. Kids enrolled in Saint James Music Academy are learning more than how to read music or play an instrument. Kathryn Walker says they are developing skills that can carry them through high school and beyond. Today (Dec. 16), 50 of the 75 Downtown Eastside youth who take free music lessons through the academy are performing a Christmas recital in the striking white church at the corner of East Cordova and Gore. The five-and-a-half-month old orchestra will play "Joy to the World," the choir will sing "You Raise Me Up," small groups of and individual youth will show off their skills on the viola, cello, guitar, piano and violin, then dance students will keep things moving at the reception afterward. Walker, a resident and community organizer in the Downtown Eastside and a mother of five, found it difficult a few years back finding affordable music education for her kids, and she knew she couldn't be alone. So she approached St. James' Anglican Church with the idea of starting a music academy, and her church provided seed money and lent the school free space. Now 75 children attend group and individual music lessons given by professionals after school three days a week. They start with a healthy snack then learn instruments and theory in half-hour blocks from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Sometimes the students attend recitals, symphony concerts and opera performances. Walker believes music education is important for young people because it provides them with another way to express themselves, they learn how to work together and learning new skills can boost self-esteem. "I've gotten feedback from the outreach workers in the community and in the schools around kids doing better academically, kids doing better behaviourally, because now they're connecting with a whole bunch of kids they maybe see at school but don't connect with," Walker said. "Now they're playing music with them." Walker, who's now executive director of Saint James Music Academy, says 30 of the original 50 children who signed up for the academy in September 2007 stayed on to learn from paid instructors. So while the majority of students are elementary school kids from Strathcona, with some from the nearby Admiral Seymour, high school students from Britannia and Templeton fill in the ranks. A music therapy program aimed at kids dealing with fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit disorder and autism and whose behaviour makes it difficult for them to sit in a formal classical music class started in October. "We recognize that every child's capacity to express their talents and gifts through the joy of music," Walker said. "Some kids are a little harder to manage, and we didn't want to lose those kids." Walker hadn't heard of Venezuela's 35-year-old National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras, or El Sistema, which has turned children from poor families into world-class composers and musicians while keeping hundreds of thousands of them in school, off drugs and out of gangs. But knowing this program exists only confirms what she suspected when she hatched plans for a music academy in the Downtown Eastside. "We feel really strongly that working with kids is a primary way to be really proactive about building healthy community." The free recital starts at 5:30 p.m. at 303 East Cordova St. crossi@vancourier.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/51358649/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:50:48 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 15:52:06 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Presentations teach kids to take care of their kids; California Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103155040.039da8d0@ncf.ca> http://www.mydesert.com/article/20091217/NEWS04/912160350/1010/news04/Presentations-teach-kids-to-take-care-of-their-kids mydesert.com The Desert Sun Palm Springs, California Presentations teach kids to take care of their kids Yessenia Luevano ? Special to The Desert Sun ? December 17, 2009 In order to increase public awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, the La Quinta High School Health Academy introduced the freshman class to the dangerous effects of prenatal alcohol exposure through a series of peer presentations. The presentations were sponsored by the NineZero Project, an initiative of the Arc of Riverside County to encourage the prevention of the disease. Students from the La Quinta High Health Academy attended a peer training curriculum known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Teaching and Research Awareness Campaign (FASTRAC) that coaches young people to teach their peers about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Senior advocates Angelica Castellanos, Jazmin Campas, Claudia Torres and Desiree Trevino were asked to train juniors Josh Tijerina, Julie Wardup, Edi Garcia, Kristina Silvers, Rosalina Ramos, Robert Avina, Colbi Hill, Brianna Velasquez and Daniela Peralta. Together, the students presented the NineZero message to freshman health classes. The peer-to-peer training and presentations not only encourage a stronger bond between the lower- and upperclassmen, but provides students with the opportunity to improve speaking and leadership skills while raising awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome disorders. ?It was rewarding to educate the lowerclassmen so that they are capable of choosing the path for their future,? said Health Academy junior Danielle Peralta. Alcohol can cause permanent brain damage that lasts throughout a baby's lifetime, resulting in learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, birth defects and behavior disorders that make it difficult for an individual to function in life. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/8d6fc952/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 3 15:56:45 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 3 16:04:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Making spirits bright: Vancouver Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100103155638.039ed7e0@ncf.ca> http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/artsandentertainment/story.html?id=f396e09c-bfdf-4f75-b195-f00eb6f349b3 The Vancouver Courier Fred UnLeeshed Fred Lee, Vancouver Courier Published: Thursday, December 17, 2009 ......... Making spirits bright: The YWCA's Crabtree Corner halfway house for moms and their kids in the downtown eastside received another $55,000 from Diane Forsythe-Abbott's annual ladies luncheon. Army and Navy CEO Jacqui Cohen led the charge with a donation of $30,000; Megan Abbott and Leslie Diamond quickly followed suit with donations of $10,000 and $5,000 respectively. Held at David Aisenstat's Hy's Mansion, 150 guests armed with toys and other in-kind donations piled into the swank steak house for the 15th annual luncheon emceed by Abbott's main squeeze veteran broadcaster Dave Abbott. Proceeds from the Howe Street hootenanny support Crabtree's many services (food, clothing, child care) and support group programs including its award-winning fetal alcohol syndrome prevention program. ...... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100103/3bcdec6e/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 4 19:25:48 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 4 19:28:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Wine and women boost liquor sales Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100104192541.04216d38@ncf.ca> [In the part on alcohol-related harms, quoting CAMH & MADD, there is no mention of pregnancy or FASD] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/wine-and-women-boost-liquor-sales/article1415412/ Globe & Mail Report on Business Alcohol Wine and women boost liquor sales Kristy Hutter From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 10:07PM EST Last updated on Saturday, Jan. 02, 2010 2:18AM EST [Photo of bottles] Getty Images Booze consumption is up 12 per cent since 1998 as marketers tap into changing demographics and tastes Canadians are drinking 12 per cent more than they did in 1998, according to Statistics Canada, and some industry watchers are attributing a significant portion of the increase to women. The large rise in consumption ? as high as 24 per cent in Prince Edward Island ? is thought to be the result of a number of factors: a broader product assortment that tends to attract women, successful marketing strategies targeting both sexes, and boomers who are experimenting with more sophisticated ways to entertain. Beer sales in Canada have been consistent and Statscan says it is men who tend to drink that beverage. Wine sales, however, have tripled in some parts of the country. Alan Middleton, a marketing expert at York University, largely attributes this boom to women. Prof. Middleton said that as retailers expanded marketing campaigns for wine and mixed drinks over the past decade, women consumed more of those beverages as alternatives to filling, harsher-tasting beers and brown liquors. Canadians' growing love of wine helped boost alcohol sales across the country, especially in the Atlantic provinces. Sales increases in PEI were aided when liquor stores began to carry canned beverages in 1998. Those drinks were previously unavailable because of a provincial environmental law. Rick Perkins, a spokesman for the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, said that over the past decade retailers have become more savvy as their customers' drinking habits evolved. ?There was lousy product assortment in the nineties,? he said. ?In the last five years in the case of Nova Scotia, in the last three to four years in the case of PEI and New Brunswick, there has been a lot better selection of product.? Provinces across the country also began updating their liquor stores as more people embraced alcohol as a staple for entertaining. ?Turning really miserable retailers that looked like you should cross yourself three times and feel guilty when you walked through the door into nice places was a success,? he said. ?The LCBO is the perfect example of this. It's now a fun place to go.? Chris Layton, spokesman for the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, concurred. Ten years ago, he said, some of the stores were fairly dated and did not have services customers have now come to expect, such as wine and food-pairing recommendations. ?Any of the marketing programs will recommend food matches for products, will talk about the enjoyment of the products we sell in the context of entertaining,? he said. ?It's very much moving people in the direction of enjoyment and entertainment.? But with more drinking come more drinking-related problems. ?There are very clear relationships between consumption and harms that can result from excessive use of alcohol or alcohol abuse,? said Robert Mann, a researcher for the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. ?That includes violence like suicide and homicide but also includes physical health problems like liver disease and alcohol-related cancers. As alcohol rates increase, the damage increases, too.? Although drunk-driving rates have significantly improved since the 1980s, they have been at a standstill for the past 10 years. A report released this year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving states that the number of fatally injured drivers who were intoxicated has remained static, hovering around 35 per cent since 1999. Statscan has also reported an increase in deaths as a result of cirrhosis ? a liver disease commonly caused by alcoholism ? from 2000 to 2005. With a report from Stephanie Chambers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100104/63a2d7ad/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 4 19:47:49 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 4 19:52:08 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Courts falling short on effort to keep natives out of jail Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100104194734.04221ac8@ncf.ca> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/courts-falling-short-on-effort-to-keep-natives-out-of-jail/article1412973/ Globe & Mail National Courts falling short on effort to keep natives out of jail Ten years after landmark ruling, prison numbers tell a dismal story Kirk Makin From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009 9:00PM EST Last updated on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009 2:55AM EST All things being equal, Dennis Thibault didn't have a prayer of getting bail. The lanky, fast-talking street person had evaporated into the streets of downtown Toronto last July, after his arrest on cocaine-trafficking charges, and missed three consecutive court dates. Few judges would have considered taking a chance on him again. But all things were not equal. The courtroom Mr. Thibault was led into last week ? known as a Gladue Court ? was created after a landmark Supreme Court of Canada ruling urged judges to be sensitive to the long-standing plight of aboriginal people. Mr. Thibault was released on bail with a token $500 surety and a direction that he take drug treatment at an aboriginal centre. ?My client was very fortunate that the stars lined up for him,? Mr. Thibault's lawyer, Steven Dallal, said afterward. ?His counterpart in an ordinary court would probably not have been released.? The outcome for Mr. Thibault was an exception. Ten years after the Supreme Court described aboriginal over-incarceration as a full-fledged crisis that must be attacked at all levels, the response has been erratic and piecemeal. Statistics tell a dismal story. Aboriginals amount to fewer than 4 per cent of the Canadian population, yet accounted for 24 per cent of those admitted to provincial or federal custody in 2006-2007 ? up from 21 per cent the previous year. In Ontario, twice as many aboriginal youth are being jailed as non-aboriginal youth who commit the same offence. ?We had to get the numbers down because they were ridiculous,? Mr. Justice Melvyn Green, of the Ontario Court of Justice, said in an interview. ?But 10 years later, my God, we are even deeper in the jungle. This is really the horror.? Mr. Justice Patrick Sheppard ? who co-founded the country's first Gladue court ? said that the justice system is moving far too lethargically: ?We are not really getting to the root of any of this stuff,? he said. ?I am really disappointed in the numbers.? Five Gladue courts have been created in Ontario ? three in Toronto, and one each in Sarnia and Brantford. Vancouver has a successful aboriginal diversion program that keeps many offenders away from jail cells. Apart from that, individual judges are pretty much on their own. While many judges say that they incorporate Gladue into their sentencing process, specialists are very skeptical of their claims. Jane McMillan, an aboriginal legal scholar at Nova Scotia's St. Francis Xavier University, said there's ?a sort of compassion fatigue ? not just in the judiciary, but the justice system in general. Gladue looked like it would be a great step forward, but it has fallen short. The consequences are becoming increasingly dire.? She said aboriginal communities have great trouble securing funding for programs that could serve as an alternative to jail, and prosecutors tend to resist using them, anyway. Jonathan Rudin, program director of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto, agreed that prosecutors often put up a blind resistance to sentences that do not involve jail, but he said that the defence bar is equally to blame for not seeking alternatives and demonstrating how clients have suffered the impacts of systemic discrimination. ?Racism is real, and one of the places it exists is in jail,? Mr. Rudin said. ?Aboriginal people have less access to parole and rehabilitation programs.? Mr. Rudin also faulted the Supreme Court for failing to provide specifics about how to restructure the court system. To make matters worse, appellate courts are providing erratic guidance. In a recent study, University of Toronto law professor Kent Roach found that they are creating particular confusion about when Gladue can be applied to violent offences. At one end of the spectrum, the Ontario Court of Appeal has strongly supported the spirit of Gladue, he said. At the other, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has been harsh and restrictive. Gladue Courts feature aboriginal court workers who provide so-called Gladue reports that flesh out the details of an offender's background and the community programs that he could be linked up with. Judge Sheppard said that he has consistently promoted the Gladue model at judges' conferences, but to little avail. ?I'm not saying that there is a conspiracy to ignore it, but all of the players in the criminal justice system would have to take a little more time,? he said. Prof. McMillan said that many judges seem unable to understand how aboriginal people have been affected by marginalization and the effects of seeing their culture demeaned and destroyed over centuries. ?They don't understand the level of normalcy of violence in the aboriginal community,? she said. ?They don't understand the day-to-day struggle for survival that really fashions and influences an individual's life. The Gladue ruling provided, ?great opportunities for empowerment and sovereignty and community-building,? she said. ?What we are seeing instead are harsher, more conservative sentences. It is appalling and frightening.? Some judges also worry that Gladue has provided offenders with an unwarranted get-out-of-jail-free card. ?There is that risk ? and I've heard judges express it that way,? remarked one Ontario judge, speaking anonymously. ?People talk about there being a ?Gladue discount.' ? But Mr. Rudin said that this is a misperception that causes people to lose sight of the value of alternatives such as substance-abuse treatment, aboriginal spirituality centres and community sentencing circles. Unfortunately, he said, funding for these alternatives is tightening at the same time as aboriginal sentencing circles are becoming an endangered species. ?There is an incredibly serious disconnect across the country,? Mr. Rudin said. ?To expect the system to change without putting in resources is foolish. I think the reality is that people have not wanted to commit the resources to make Gladue real.? Comments 279 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100104/a740bc1e/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 4 19:58:11 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 4 20:04:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Alcohol substitute that avoids drunkenness and hangovers in development Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100104195803.0422d8e8@ncf.ca> [What would be the effects of this new alcohol for FASD?] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6874884/Alcohol-substitute-that-avoids-drunkenness-and-hangovers-in-development.html Telegraph.co.uk Lifestyle Health Health News Alcohol substitute that avoids drunkenness and hangovers in development An alcohol substitute that mimics its pleasant buzz without leading to drunkenness and hangovers is being developed by scientists. By Paul Rodgers and Richard Alleyne Published: 8:00AM GMT 26 Dec 2009 [Photo of woman drinking from wine glass] The new alcohol is being developed by a team at Imperial College London Photo: PAUL GROVER The new substance could have the added bonus of being "switched off" instantaneously with a pill, to allow drinkers to drive home or return to work. The synthetic alcohol, being developed from chemicals related to Valium, works like alcohol on nerves in the brain that provide a feeling of wellbeing and relaxation. But unlike alcohol its does not affect other parts of the brain that control mood swings and lead to addiction. It is also much easier to flush out of the body. Finally because it is much more focused in its effects, it can also be switched off with an antidote, leaving the drinker immediately sober. The new alcohol is being developed by a team at Imperial College London, led by Professor David Nutt, Britain's top drugs expert who was recently sacked as a government adviser for his comments about cannabis and ecstasy. He envisions a world in which people could drink without getting drunk, he said. No matter how many glasses they had, they would remain in that pleasant state of mild inebriation and at the end of an evening out, revellers could pop a sober-up pill that would let them drive home. Prof Nutt and his team are concentrating their efforts on benzodiazepines, of which diazepam, the chief ingredient of Valium is one. Thousands of candidate benzos are already known to science. He said it is just a matter of identifying the closest match and then, if necessary, tailoring it to fit society?s needs. Ideally, like alcohol, it should be tasteless and colourless, leaving those characteristics to the drink it?s in. Eventually it would be used to replace the alcohol content in beer, wine and spirits and the recovered ethanol (the chemical name for alcohol) could be sold as fuel. Professor Nutt believes that the new drug, which would need licensing, could have a dramatic effect on society and improve the nation's health. The NHS report Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2009 found more than 800,000 alcohol-related admissions to hospitals in 2007-08 ? and more than 6,500 deaths ? at a cost to the service of ?2.7bn a year. Some charities estimate that the toll could be up to five times higher. Drink is, for example, a factor in 40 per cent of fatal fires, 15 per cent of drownings, 65 per cent of suicides and 40 per cent of domestic abuse. It also has other costs, including 17 million lost working days a year, worth about ?20bn to the economy. ?I?ve been in experiments where I?ve taken benzos,? said Professor Nutt. ?One minute I was sedated and nearly asleep, five minutes later I was giving a lecture. ?No one?s ever tried targeting this before, possibly because it will be so hard to get it past the regulators. ?Most of the benzos are controlled under the Medicines Act. The law gives a privileged position to alcohol, which has been around for 3,000 years. But why not use advances in pharmacology to find something safer and better?? Getting the drug approved could be hard for the team as clinical trials are expensive, and it is not clear who would pay for them, according to Professor Nutt. He said that the traditional drinks industry has not shown any interest, however some countries might be persuaded to sponsor the team. Some countries have more liberal regimes than others, though, and Professor Nutt thinks Greece or Spain, within the EU, could lead the way. The latest Home Office performance figures showed that more than one in four people believe that alcohol is blighting their community. A survey of every police force area in England and Wales found that 26 per cent of those polled ?perceived people being drunk or rowdy in public placed to be a problem in their area? ? a slight increase from last year. The fears over the affects of alcohol range from urban to rural communities, with the worst hit being Manchester, South Wales, London, Northumbria and Gwent. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6874884/Alcohol-substitute-that-avoids-drunkenness-and-hangovers-in-development.html TelegraphNews -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100104/8bc2805d/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 5 11:35:41 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 5 11:40:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Cascade County OKs funds for child development study: Montana Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100105113522.039b8500@ncf.ca> http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=11652315 Montana's News Station Cascade County OKs funds for child development study Posted: Dec 9, 2009 09:36 PM EST Updated: Dec 16, 2009 09:33 PM EST The Cascade County Commission has approved funding to renew a program that helps families identify and treat developmental issues with children, such as fetal alcohol syndrome. The City-County Health Department will team up with a New Mexico university to find around 25 children with possible disorders. The county approved $33,000 in federally-allocated funds which make the program possible. In either late spring or early summer a neural psychiatrist, a diagnostician, and a pediatric doctor will come to Montana from New Mexico to host a free clinic to identify possible issues. The clinic will also provide resources to families to help get children the help they need. The health department will now begin to reach out to health care providers to find children who could benefit from the clinic. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100105/2f0f1b50/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 5 11:35:58 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 5 11:40:16 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Suicide Emergency On Pine Ridge Reservation: South Dakota Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100105113550.039b4088@ncf.ca> http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=93873 Keloland.com 12/10/2009 10:00 PM Suicide Emergency On Pine Ridge Reservation It's a place where an estimated two out of three people live below the poverty line, where an average man won't live to see his 50th birthday, and children are four-times more likely to be born with fetal alcohol syndrome. It may sound like a third-world country, but it's actually right here in South Dakota. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation has drawn international attention for its problems with alcoholism and poverty, and tribal leaders say those problems have created an even bigger issue. Their people are killing themselves at an alarming rate. Family, friends, even perfect strangers packed inside an Oglala church today to say goodbye to a 16-year-old Oglala Sioux Tribe member. The young boy hanged himself just days ago. It's a too common problem on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Just so far this year, there have already been more than 30 calls for service for attempted or completed suicides; 17 of them in the month of November alone. In 2008, the numbers were even more startling; a reported 84 adults and 16 juveniles either attempted or committed suicide. Tribal leaders say it's the leading cause of death among teens. "There's nothing, nothing else matters. If there's nobody there at that time, nothing else matters. If somebody gets in that state of mind and there's nobody around, I think 90 percent of the time they are going to go through with it," suicide survivor Tony Cross said. In 1996, Tony Cross was an alcoholic and severely depressed. He made the decision to end his life. "I put the gun underneath my chin, and I cried some more and, I didn't want to do it. So I changed my mind, and as I was pulling the gun away I [accidentally] shot myself. He survived an accidental gunshot wound to the chest, but like many others struggling with addiction, he went back to drinking. Oglala Sioux Tribe President Theresa Two Bulls says alcohol is the main factor driving Native Americans to harm themselves. "A lot of socioeconomic factors that the youth are picking up on now and they're identifying with it, and so they think this is probably the best way to commit suicide so they don't have to live this way," Two Bulls said. She and many others are hoping a Suicide State of Emergency will help curb the problem on the reservation. "We need to really show our youth that we care that we love them and that we want to be there for them. It's going to be a tough job for we as adults but we need to do it," Two Bulls said. Something this survivor says is a step in the right direction. "Our tribal leaders, people look up to them and I think after they made this declaration today a lot more people are going to get involved and we're going to have a lot better success," Cross said. If they don't, it's a matter of life and death for many struggling with thoughts of suicide. Tribal leaders point out that while the Reservation is dry, many purchase alcohol across the border into Nebraska. Two Bulls is working with Nebraska state leaders to put a stop to cross-border sales. Karla Ramaekers -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100105/8725dca0/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 5 11:37:12 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 5 11:40:23 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] U of New Mexico study on FASD: Great Falls, Montana Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100105113622.039b2b40@ncf.ca> http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091215/NEWS01/912150329/1002 Great Falls Tribune Great Falls, Montana News School board approves new contracts By KRISTEN CATES ? Tribune Staff Writer ? December 15, 2009 Contracts for three employee unions were approved at Monday night's school board meeting and the green light was given to a University of New Mexico research group to continue studying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Great Falls for the next four years...... Also on the agenda was a recommendation to consider continuing research efforts with Dr. Phillip May from the University of New Mexico on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, pending May's ability to receive grant funding from the National Institute of Health for the study. In the past three years, first-grade children, with the consent of their parents, have participated in the study which aims at identifying fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in youth so that eventually, as May said Monday night, they develop better methods of early intervention for children who might develop learning disorders. May said what he is finding is the number of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and fetal alcohol syndrome around the country is far greater than current estimates by organizations such as the NIH. He presented results for Great Falls from 2008, which showed the number of students impacted by fetal alcohol syndrome or other disorders increased. The 2009 numbers won't be finalized until January.... Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Cates at 791-1463 or kcates@greatfallstribune.com. http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091214/NEWS01/912140307/1002/news01/Trustees-expected-to-affirm-contracts Great Falls Tribune Great Falls, Montana News Trustees expected to affirm contracts By KRISTEN CATES ? Tribune Staff Writer ? December 14, 2009 School board trustees will be asked tonight to approve contracts that have been negotiated with three different unions in the school district for employees who have been working without a contract since July 1.......... Also on this evening's agenda is a request for action to continue with a growth and development study of first-grade students in the Great Falls Public Schools. The study would be part of a University of New Mexico research project on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders..... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100105/ec84e611/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 5 11:50:43 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 5 11:52:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario: Minister's draft regulation on quality assurance measures: For public review Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100105115031.0398eac8@ncf.ca> Jan. 5, 2010 [A chance to comment by Feb. 16, 2010 on the second regulation under the Ontario Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008. This is for people over 18 years. You can comment on the MCSS Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services website. Click here http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/developmental/regulation/index.aspx to go to the MCSS web site (new window will open) which provides all the relevant information. The side-by-side view of the official text version and plain language version of the draft regulations is particularly useful.] Elspeth http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/developmental/regulation/index.aspx Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services Minister's draft regulation on quality assurance measures: For public review In 2008, the government passed the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008. It received Royal Assent on October 8, 2008. When it is fully in place, the new act will replace the Developmental Services Act. For many years now, Ontario has been changing the way it delivers services and supports for people with a developmental disability. We want to build a system where adults with a developmental disability and their families can live with more independence and choice. With the new act, we can build a system of services and supports that: is fair, so that everyone gets treated the same way is flexible, so that people's needs are addressed, and lasts for a long time. The new act is not in effect yet. Before it can become law, we need to develop policy directives (or instructions) and regulations (rules that will have to be followed). The second regulation has been drafted. Before it becomes final, we are asking you to tell us what you think. Please provide us with your comments by February 16, 2010. Learn More About the draft Regulation: Minister's message Minister's draft Regulation: Quality Assurance Measures Plain language guide to understanding the Minister's draft Regulation Side-by-side comparison of the full legal text and the plain language guide Frequently asked questions about the Minister's draft Regulation How to submit comments About Ontario's new developmental services legislation: About the Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 (plain language guide) Services and Supports to Promote the Social Inclusion of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Act, 2008 Spotlight on Transformation: A Developmental Services Bulletin from the Ministry of Community and Social Services -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100105/6212b993/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Wed Jan 6 22:24:06 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Wed Jan 6 22:28:33 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Like a school of life: Youth jail provides structure: Manitoba Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100106222346.03f8abb0@ncf.ca> "...Then there's challenging mental health or behavioural issues such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder...." http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2009/12/21/12225051-sun.html Winnipeg Sun News Manitoba Like a school of life Youth jail provides structure By CHRIS KITCHING, SUN MEDIA Last Updated: 21st December 2009, 7:37am [Photo]The Manitoba Youth Centre at 170 Doncaster St. in Tuxedo has a capacity of 150 inmates.(Brian Donogh/WINNIPEG SUN) When most wayward youths are accused of breaking the law and are held until they apply for bail, or are sentenced, they walk through these doors. For a few days or months at a time -- and sometimes more than once -- this is a home away from home for dozens of bad boys and girls, but it's anything but sweet. Mostly cut off from the outside world, Manitoba Youth Centre inmates follow a structured routine far from the lifestyle most lead outside the facility's walls. Between the mandatory wake-up time of 7:30 a.m. and lights out, inmates go to school, eat three meals a day, clean up after themselves, break a sweat, get the help they need and partake in spiritual or cultural traditions, all inside Manitoba's largest youth jail. Unlike when they're in the community, the youths don't have a choice. "For lots of them they get some positive attention that they don't receive on the outside," said MYC superintendent Darryl Rumsey during an interview to get an idea of what goes on inside the jail at 170 Doncaster St. "Hopefully, we're able to influence them or assist them in providing some skills so they are better equipped to return to the community in a safe way." Most are on remand, meaning they're in custody while their charges are before the courts, but some are sentenced prisoners. For some time, MYC has been above its capacity of 150. The typical weekday begins with breakfast. Inmates then go to school from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with a lunch break. Five kids have completed Grade 12 behind bars this year, an achievement they may not have reached in the community, Rumsey said. For some, the day may be interrupted by appearances in an on-site courtroom, meetings with lawyers or probation officers, or programming. After that, there's time for an aboriginal smudging ceremony, then dinner. Typical meals are chicken thighs, mashed potatoes and a vegetable, battered fish with fries and coleslaw, and shepherd's pie and a vegetable. The evening hours consist of recreation, visits, meetings with case managers, showers, phone calls, counselling and unassigned time until 10 p.m. Inmates do their own laundry, make their beds and clean common areas and their own rooms. Visits are limited to certain relatives. Rewarded for good behaviour, inmates can earn pocket change working in the cafeteria or grooming the grounds. MENTAL ISSUES Of course, some don't learn and repeatedly wind up in this dour-looking building in Tuxedo until they become an adult. Many are from low-income families. Some may live in a single-parent or foster home, skip school daily, stay out until all hours of the night, or get one or no meals a day. On the flip side, some are from stable, loving families. Then there's challenging mental health or behavioural issues such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Inmates are evaluated and assigned a case manager. They're flowed into a variety of programs, from anger management and life skills to gang intervention and relationship skills. Anti-gang activist James Lathlin, who spent time in MYC in his youth, recently took his messages to inmates. "It was a flashback. Even the smell of the cooking," Lathlin, 33, said. After his hour-long presentation, he ate dinner with a group of youths, who had plenty of questions. "I told them every time I got out I was happy and realized this wasn't the place where I wanted to be," Lathlin said. "That's what you do in there. You sit there and think about how you got in there." chris.kitching@sunmedia.ca ON THE INSIDE MYC facts and figures - Rated capacity of 150 - 156 inmates as of Friday morning - Inmates are divided into 10 cottages, which are staffed 24-7 - Average length of stay for a remanded male inmate is 45 days - Average length of stay for a remanded female inmate is 27 days - Average cost of three meals per day, per inmate, is $7.70 - 158 full-time employees - 92 part-time employees - Registered nurses provide 24-hour care -- Source: Manitoba Justice -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100106/78b5e6d5/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 8 15:22:08 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 8 15:28:08 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Victim Services' Experiences Working with Victims with FASD: Identifying the Issues Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100106143104.043f5d48@ncf.ca> "...Participants indicated that the strategies identified for working with clients who have FASD could be used for any client that may have communication or learning challenges...." http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/pi/rs/rep-rap/2009/rr09_4/toc-tdm.html Report from Canada Department of Justice Programs and Research. Research and Statistics. Research Reports Identifying the Issues: Victim Services' experiences working with victims with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Victim Issues Research Series. Department of Justice Canada 2009-10-10 Prepared by researchers, Charlotte Fraser & Susan McDonald 27 p. Executive Summary The purpose of this research was to gain insights from victim services workers' experiences working with victims with FASD (both with and without a formal diagnosis). Anecdotal information suggests that individuals with FASD are at risk of becoming victims of crime. The authors sought to learn from those who work with victims of crime who have FASD to gain further understanding of how this disability impacts the full participation of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system. The role of victim services varies across the country, but they all have a common goal: to provide information and support to victims and witnesses of crime. Victim services workers may only have a short period of time to assist clients and as such, their ability to communicate effectively with clients is crucial to their job. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong brain-based disability that often goes unrecognized as it is not easily identifiable. Many people suspected of having FASD are not formally diagnosed. The criminal court may be unaware that a victim or witness has FASD, which may negatively impact their experience and interaction with the criminal justice system. For example, the way counsel asks questions is critical for obtaining accurate information from individuals with FASD. Individuals with FASD generally do not understand abstract questions; testimony may be misinterpreted when the court is not aware that victims or witnesses have cognitive limitations. Victims of crime who have disabilities (including FASD) are at increased risk of being repeatedly victimized compared to the general population. Victims and witnesses with FASD may have difficulty explaining the details of a crime to police, and testifying in court, as well as difficulty conveying their experiences into words when writing a Victim Impact Statement. Victims with FASD are some of the most vulnerable individuals in society since many times their disability is unknown to themselves or the court. Interviews were sought with victim services workers with experience working with clients who have FASD. Directors of Victim Services in the thirteen jurisdictions across Canada were contacted to assist in identifying workers' who had experience working with clients with FASD. Twelve interviews were conducted. All participants agreed that FASD is an important issue to address, and that there is a lack of knowledge and awareness of FASD among individuals involved in the criminal court process. All participants recommended training for all justice professionals on FASD. Participants indicated that the strategies identified for working with clients who have FASD could be used for any client that may have communication or learning challenges. Participants provided recommendations that could improve their ability to work with clients with FASD, such as having them watch a DVD that explains the court process and having a manual for workers with tips on providing information to clients with communication difficulties. None of these recommendations are resource intensive. Small adjustments to regular work protocols could greatly improve communication between victims and witnesses with FASD and victim services workers', which could result in improved court experiences for all parties. .... 4. Findings and Discussion 4.1 Demographics 4.2 Experiences with Victims who have FASD 4.3 Importance and Prevalence of Victims who have FASD 4.4 Knowledge of FASD among Participants 4.5 Providing Information to the Court 4.6 Strategies for Assisting Victim who have FASD 4.7 Recommendations for Assisting Clients who have FASD 4.8 Discussion 4.8 Discussion The participants in this study had a high level of awareness about FASD, and noted that there are many other victim services workers who likely do not share that level of awareness. The participants saw FASD as part of a larger constellation of challenges toward providing quality victim services. Participants indicated that the strategies identified for working with clients who have FASD could be used for any client that may have communication or learning challenges.Agencies have limited resources, workers have limited time for training, and there are competing training needs and priorities. It would be worthwhile to explore a strategy that would ensure that victim services workers are allotted the time to learn about FASD, and how to work with clients who have communication challenges. Such training could be built into other training sessions. Improving knowledge of FASD and other disabilities among victim services workers would assist them in communicating effectively with vulnerable victims of crime, which could result in improved court experiences for all parties.The use of testimonial aids in Canada for vulnerable adults is not common (see Bala et al. forthcoming). It may be worthwhile to explore further the use of testimonial aids for vulnerable adults and assess Crown and judicial willingness to use aids for some individuals with FASD. It may also be beneficial to explore whether Victim Impact Statements are being completed by a designated support person for vulnerable adults as in R v. C.M.S. Victims with FASD may be some of the most vulnerable victims of crime; it is incumbent upon criminal justice professionals to better understand how the Canadian criminal justice system may provide the best services possible for all victims of crime, particularly vulnerable victims of crime. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100108/9ea435e8/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 8 16:32:15 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 8 16:34:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Non-Alcoholic Beverages Can Harm Your Unborn Child Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100107104908.03aa2b68@ncf.ca> http://www.parentdish.com/2010/01/06/non-alcoholic-beverages-can-harm-your-unborn-child/ parentdish AOL Non-Alcoholic Beverages Can Harm Your Unborn Child by Shelley White (Subscribe to Shelley White's posts) Jan 6th 2010 3:30PM Categories: Pregnancy & Birth, Safety, Eating & Nutrition For those of us who enjoy an occasional beer or a glass of wine when Friday night rolls around, it can be a bit of a bummer saying the necessary good-bye to booze for the nine or so months during pregnancy. For some women, low- or non-alcoholic beers, wines and coolers might seem like a viable alternative to the real thing. But as stated in The Globe and Mail on Monday, a new Hospital For Sick Children study has revealed that consuming these beverages may be putting babies at risk. Researchers bought 45 different low- or non-alcoholic beverages from grocers around the greater Toronto area. The study found that after testing with a process called gas chromatography, 13 of the beverages had ethanol levels that were higher than what was stated on the label. And although the medical establishment has not proven that small amounts of alcohol will cause harm to an unborn child, the authors of the study are concerned about pregnant women who might be consuming these beverages in large quantities. Some women who are finding it particularly hard to stop drinking alcohol altogether may be using the low- and non-alcoholic beverages as a regular alternative. "The problem for all of us is that alcohol is bad for the fetus, but we do not know how little causes harm. It could be that even low amounts could be problematic," study co-author Dr. Gideon Koren told The Globe and Mail.It's a sobering thought worth considering next time you are offered a cold "near beer" at a party. If you are pregnant and have questions about taking any kind of drug or alcohol during pregnancy, Motherisk is a great go-to resource. It's a program run by The Hospital For Sick Children, which provides toll-free numbers anyone can call with questions regarding the risk factors of specific prescription and non-perscription drugs during pregnancy, as well as questions regarding alcohol use. If you do feel left out while your non-preggo pals crack open a beer or sip a cocktail, there are plenty of websites that will help you in your quest to quaff something more exciting than mineral water. The LCBO offers up a fine list of mocktails to liven up your next mixer (my personal favourite is the "elephantini" with banana, chocolate and caramel sauce, created in honour of their "deflate the elephant" anti-drinking-and-driving campaign). And drinkalternatives.com has a comprehensive list of mocktail recipes, from dry versions of classic drinks like mojitos, daiquaris and mai tais, to 10 Smoothie Secrets. Cheers to a healthy pregnancy! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100108/f98f1d3f/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 8 16:32:29 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 8 16:34:13 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Misleading beverage labels put fetuses at risk Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100108162537.03a39bc0@ncf.ca> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/misleading-beverage-labels-put-fetuses-at-risk/article1417813/ Globe & Mail Globe Life Misleading beverage labels put fetuses at risk Some brands of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages contain more alcohol than is advertised on the label ZOSIA BIELSKI From Monday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Jan. 04, 2010 12:00AM EST Last updated on Wednesday, Jan. 06, 2010 1:24PM EST Pregnant women drinking non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages may be putting their babies at risk because some brands contain more alcohol than is advertised on the label, according to a study released today by the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The researchers bought 45 different beverages claiming to contain no alcohol or have low alcohol content (less than 0.5 per cent) from grocers in the greater Toronto area. They bought the drinks in threes from different lot numbers (when available). They then tested the beverages for ethanol concentration using a process called gas chromatography. The analysis revealed that 13 beverages contained ethanol levels that were higher than those stated on their labels. In three cases, ethanol levels of nearly 2 per cent were recorded in beverages advertised as non-alcoholic. "I think there's a big issue with misleading the public about alcohol," said Gideon Koren, one of the study's authors, who works with the Motherisk program in the hospital's clinical pharmacology and toxicology division. Scores of non- or low-alcoholic wines, de-alcoholized beers and coolers are available from grocers in Canada. "This is what we purchased at corner stores, the way a Canadian would purchase," said Dr. Koren, who holds the Research Leadership for Better Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy and Lactation at the Hospital for Sick Children. The researchers are concerned about pregnant mothers who consume the beverages in "large volumes." "Pregnant women seeking replacement for alcoholic beverages may be misled by these labels, unknowingly exposing themselves and their unborn babies to ethanol," they write. Ethanol can damage the developing embryo and fetus, but doctors remain divided over whether small amounts can harm an unborn child. "The problem for all of us is that alcohol is bad for the fetus but we do not know how little causes harm. It could be that even low amounts could be problematic," Dr. Koren said. Canada's Public Health Agency advises pregnant women to abstain from alcohol: "No one knows for sure how much drinking causes [fetal alcohol spectrum disorder]. That means that there is no safe amount of alcohol you can drink while you are pregnant," reads the Agency's website. Still, some moms-to-be find it difficult to stop drinking and use a plethora of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol wines, coolers and beers as a substitute, the authors say. Dr. Koren said part of the problem lies in the fact that many of the products are "quenchers" - soft-drink-type coolers that are easy to throw back in quantity. "When we drink wine, we sip - it's not a thirst quencher. Here, people might drink very differently." He added that the mislabelling can be "problematic at many levels." "We're talking pregnant women, but how about the driver? You don't need to be legally drunk to be a risk on the road." The researchers are agitating for the beverage makers and regulatory agencies to take a closer look at the drinks. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces packaging and labelling laws and is responsible for verifying that the information provided to consumers is truthful. According to the federal Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising, a beverage containing 1.1 per cent or more alcohol by volume is considered alcoholic. "Mislabelled products are a concern," said Julie Lepage, media relations for the agency, but would not confirm that CFIA would investigate the products in question. The authors surmise that a potential contributor to the alcohol detected in the beverages may be "the degradation of fruit." "However," they continue, "manufacturers of the beverages should be aware that alcohol is generated through the degradation process and have mechanisms to monitor and ensure that ethanol remains below the limit stated on their labels." Brands that tested within advertised alcohol levels include Carl Jung, Casal Domingo, Labatt Nordic Low and Molson EXEL. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100108/83af409a/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 8 17:17:25 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 8 17:22:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD Retreat, Vancouver (BC): Jan. 30 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100108171714.03a90740@ncf.ca> growing together: a retreat for parents of people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Date: Tue, 05 Jan 2010 10:33:15 -0500 From: Sarah Pedersen Subject: [AdoptionCanada] FASD Retreat, Vancouver (BC): January 30, 2010 A new event has been posted to our website: http://www.adoption.ca/News_Events.html FASD Retreat, Vancouver (BC): January 30, 2010 The Adoptive Families Association of BC (AFABC) and the Adoption Council of Canada (ACC) are pleased to invite you to our second parent retreat. If you are an adoptive parent of a child, youth, or adult who is suspected of having or has been diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), we hope that you will join us. As a parent-led organization, we know the importance for parents to have a chance to come together with those who understand and care. $35/person or $60/couple. Registration deadline is January 15, 2010. http://www.adoption.ca/FASD%20Retreat%202010.pdf growing together: a retreat for parents of people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder Saturday, January 30, 2010 8:45 am ? 5 pm The Anderson Heritage House 6135 MacDonald Street Vancouver, BC For information about the retreat and registration please contact: Tanya Loretto, ACC Parent Liaison (604) 266-1220 tloretto@shaw.ca Sarah Reid AFABC Adoption Support Coordinator, Vancouver/Coastal (604) 320-7330 ext 105 sreid@bcadoption.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100108/e90a5ff4/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 14:11:18 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 14:16:11 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Calculating the costs: alcohol for university students Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109141109.020b79f8@ncf.ca> [no details about what the health risks are] http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2010/01/08/12388711-sun.html London Free Press News London Calculating the costs ALCOHOL: THE GOOD By JOHN MINER, THE LONDON FREE PRESS Last Updated: 8th January 2010, 9:11am Drinking UWO students can now get a detailed online report on what their consumption costs them -- not only in health, but also in terms of pizzas, movie passes and vacations. An innovative computer program, aimed at students living in residence at the University of Western Ontario, also tells them how they stack up against students at other Canadian universities and what health risks they might face from their drinking habits. "It is completely non-judgmental . . . we really try to leave the finger-wagging out of it," said Rachel Fournier, vice-president of Evolution Health Systems Inc. "We like to give people information so they can make their own decisions." The Toronto-based health company was contacted by Western to develop the pilot program for the university. It's based on research done for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health that found providing people with information can trigger them to reduce their alcohol consumption. Filled out anonymously (students are only asked for their first names when they log on), the survey includes questions on how often the person drinks, what a drink costs them, the most they drink at a time, whether they have trouble remembering what they did while drinking and if it has hurt their health. "We actually have an indication people are more honest online," said Fournier. The program calculates how much the student is spending on alcohol a year and what, instead, they could have bought with all that money -- movie passes, a computer, a trip. The student is told how many calories they consumed and how much that added to their weight. That's also translated into how many slices of pizza they could have had instead. Data generated includes how many hours in the past year they spent under the influence of alcohol. From the information submitted, the student is given a score that shows their risk of alcohol-related harm. If the score is 20 or more, they're advised to see a health care professional about their drinking. There was some concern the program could backfire, with students treating it as a joke and drinking more, said Bob Gough, assistance director of residence education at UWO. "Actually, the opposite happens. They might joke around about it, but the awareness is there. Once they realize their drinking is higher -- the health impacts and how much money they are spending -- that knowledge creates change," he said. Gough said he doesn't believe Western students are drinking any more or less than in the past, but they're paying more attention to when they drink. "Students are much more serious about their academics than maybe 10 years ago in some ways. They will be less likely to have it interfere with academics," he said. --- --- --- ONLINE: Check it out at uwo.checkyourdrinkingu.net john.miner@sunmedia.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/2fa443c3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 14:11:33 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 14:16:15 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Centre to study mental health, addiction, inequality: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109141125.020b7768@ncf.ca> [Will this Centre look at pregnancy & FASD in its studies of gender (women) & mental health & addiction?] http://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/news/story_01071009.shtml Simon Fraser University Burnaby, Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia Research Centre to study mental health, addiction, inequality January 7, 2010 How do the intersections of gender, race, poverty and other social factors affect services and outcomes for people with mental health and addiction issues? That?s one of the questions SFU?s new Vancouver campus Centre for the Study of Gender, Social Inequities and Mental Health plans to address. The centre will investigate why there is unequal access to services and health outcomes for people with mental illness and substance-use problems. It will also help develop programs, policies and interventions to resolve these issues, with the goal of improving adult mental health both in Canada and abroad. SFU health scientists Marina Morrow and Elliot Goldner and the Mental Health Commission of Canada?s Howard Chodos will lead the centre, which will include more than 30 national and international co-investigators and collaborators. Morrow, a community psychologist, specializes in research related to gender and mental health and mental-health reform. "I would say women are still under-served?most services don?t take gender into account," she says. "Yet within the female population, women are more at risk of sexual exploitation and violence, particularly if they suffer from mental health issues." Centre activities will focus on mental health reform; recovery and housing; reproductive mental health; violence, mental health and substance use; and the criminal justice system, mental health and substance use. "The centre has three main functions," explains Morrow. "To foster research in the key priority areas, to develop knowledge exchange that will encourage implementation of our research findings, and to mentor and train students and community-based researchers who can build capacity in the field of social inequities and mental health." "There?s a pressing need for this centre," she says, "because there has been very little attention to the ways in which social and structural determinants affect people with mental health issues." The centre is being funded with nearly $2 million from the Institute of Gender and Health, part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/eea1b8ee/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 14:12:04 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 14:16:18 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] CDHS students get the straight goods on drug & alcohol use: Campbellford, Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109141156.020b74d8@ncf.ca> [No mention of pregnancy or FASD] http://www.communitypress-online.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2249518 The Community Press Trenton, Ontario CDHS students get the straight goods on drug and alcohol use Posted By Sue Dickens for The Community Press Posted 2 days ago [as of January 9, 2010] [Photo] Stephanie Ratz, a health promoter with the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit demonstrated the recovery position to Grade 9 students Leah Carson and Samantha Trotter, who participated in the Positive Decisions Positive Choices initiative held at Campbellford District High School recently. Campbellford ? "They're getting the goods from the right people," said Jeffrey Stewart, principal of Campbellford District High School. He was talking about a series of drug education and awareness information sessions called Positive Decisions, Positive Choices that was held Jan. 5 at the high school for the Grade 9 students. The brainchild of the Trent Hills Community Policing Committee, the event was so successful in its first year that the decision was made to hold it again, this time with a few changes as a result of student input. "The interactive activities are new this year," explained Janice Allen, a member of the policing committee. The presenters not only talked about the dangers of substance abuse, current laws, what is happening in Northumberland County, and treatment and support options, they also engaged the students in a number of activities. The Northumberland OPP demonstrated breathalyzer tests using student volunteers, the Four Counties Addiction Services Team (FOURCAST) showed the recovery position for someone thought to have overdosed on drugs or alcohol, and Rebound Child and Youth Services Northumberland gave the teens goggles that simulated what their vision would be at various levels of intoxication. "These people here today are the experts," Stewart said. "The students might say they are informed when asked but what they know is mostly rumour and innuendo. These experts can talk to the kids and that's something that is very real to them. This day is important so the students can make informed decisions. Fourcast addictions counsellor Amanda Bongard put questions to the students to make them think about the ramifications of using drugs or alcohol. She got their attention with photos of celebrities whose lives have been affected by substance abuse, such as singer Amy Winehouse who is addicted to crack, and the late Heath Ledger, the Australian actor who died of an overdose on prescription drugs. She explained how addiction develops, describing how people can go from experimental use to recreational use to becoming totally dependent on drugs or alcohol, and then she spoke about the consequences. Stephanie Ratz, a health promoter with the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, focused on the many drugs that are available, including everyday substances such as caffeine, alcohol, and over-the-counter drugs. She brought with her samples of caffeine drinks, Gatorade and Red Bull, an energy drink popular with kids. "Alcohol is the most common drug used by teenagers," she said. It slows down the heart rate and "your entire central nervous system." Ratz gave the students some statistics to think about, such as the fact that more teens die each year as a result of road crashes than any other cause of death. "Approximately 40 per cent of teens who were killed in a motor vehicle had been drinking alcohol," she said. "Three-quarters of these teen fatalities had blood-alcohol concentrations over the legal limit of .08," she said. Advertisement Other partners in the special initiative included Trent Hills Police Services, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). For student Jonah Allen-McLean, the event had an impact. "It's good for awareness," he said. Cole Mahoney having experts come to the high school was "a good way to learn the consequences of using drugs and/or alcohol." Student Leah Carson said she learned "that the effects of drugs and alcohol stay with you a long time. I also learned that you can determine if someone is suffering from the overuse of these by the colour of their skin and breathing pattern." "I also learned you should call 911 immediately," she added. Linnea Kalchos, who tried out the breathalyzer set up by community services officer Const. Chris Dewsbury, was impressed by the information sessions. "I learned more about drugs and alcohol and it was about the pros and cons and I found it a new way to approach the subject. . . . more on our level. It wasn't just the old message saying don't do drugs." Grade 9 student Ryan Orrell decided to give the sobriety test a go. Students were asked to wear goggles that simulated three different levels of alcohol intake, ranging from below the legal limit for drinking and driving to above it. "Today I learned a lot and it changed my opinion about drinking and driving and the number of accidents it causes. I also learned about the bad effects of alcohol, for example, in the liver, where it is absorbed," he said. Article ID# 2249518 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/7aaa91ba/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 14:18:48 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 14:22:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Lie-telling in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109141834.03deb640@ncf.ca> [This is not a new article] http://jpepsy.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/33/2/220 Oxford Journals Medecine Journal of Pediatric Psychology Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on August 28, 2007 Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2008 33(2):220-225; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm069 Brief Report: Lie-telling in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Carmen Rasmussen, PhD1, Victoria Talwar, PhD2, Carly Loomes3 and Gail Andrew, MDCM, FRCPC4 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 2Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, 3Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, and 4Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta & Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Carmen Rasmussen, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, 137 Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, 10230-111Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5G 0B7. E-mail: carmen@ualberta.ca . [] Right arrow Abstract Freely available Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Abstract Objectives The lie-telling abilities of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) (aged 4?8 years) were tested using a temptation resistance paradigm. Methods Children were told not to peek at a forbidden toy while left alone in a room. Later children were asked if they peeked at the toy as well as follow-up questions to see if they could conceal their peeking behavior and maintain their lie in subsequent verbal statements. Results Approximately 78% of the children peeked at the toy. However, 94% of the FASD children lied about peeking, a rate that is much higher than the non-FASD control group (72%). As age increased, FASD children were better at concealing their lies and maintaining semantic leakage control than non-FASD children. Conclusions This is the first study to specifically test lying in children with FASD and has implications for remediation and understanding secondary disabilities in these children, which will lead to further research in this area. Key words: fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; lying, problem behaviors. Received December 11, 2006; revision received July 24, 2007; accepted July 24, 2007 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/a5e1d299/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 16:37:21 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 16:40:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Party warning for pregnant women: Alcohol, cigarettes hurting the unborn Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109104425.0398ec58@ncf.ca> http://www.khou.com/home/Party-warning-Alcohol-cigarettes-hurting-the-unborn-80933182.html khou.com Houston, Texas Party warning for pregnant women: Alcohol, cigarettes hurting the unborn by Dave Fehling / 11 News Posted on January 7, 2010 at 8:55 PM Updated Friday, Jan 8 at 12:00 AM [Play video - Don't Drink for Two] HOUSTON?Women who smoke or drink while pregnant might want to consider what Houston mother Yolanda Ross can tell them about her daughter. "When I saw her, I knew something was wrong," said Ross about getting her first look at her newborn. As her baby daughter grew, she showed signs of impaired mental development, commonly called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Her doctors said it very likely could be linked to Ross?s drinking and possibly her drug use. "I was in denial because I didn?t drink every day," Ross said of how she rationalized her binge drinking. Ross and another Houston mother, Mercedes Alejandro, are both featured in a video shot in Houston that?s now being distributed across Texas. Its most unforgettable moment comes from Alejandro?s son, now a young adult. "I would say please don?t drink when you?re pregnant," said Nicolas Alejandro in the video, adding in a stuttering voice: "The... the... the... effects are irreversible." He also suffered diminished mental development linked to alcohol. In the video, his mother explains she didn?t know she was pregnant when she was drinking socially on the weekends. "I would have stopped drinking right away," she said. The two mothers told 11 News why they volunteered to do the video. "For me it was important because women don?t know, there?s so much shame associated with this," said Mercedes Alejandro. Asked if the video will help, Ross said, "Lord yes!" The Texas Health Department produced the "Don?t Drink for Two" video to raise awareness?especially among women on public assistance. The state is giving DVD copies to women who visit WIC offices (Women, Infants and Children program). Birth defects from drinking and from smoking while pregnant are among the most preventable, yet they are among the most devastating and costly. In an ongoing State of Texas study of Houston women of child-bearing age, 13 percent were found to be at risk of having babies with defects linked to drinking and smoking. Local and state governments care about this, and not just as a health issue, but as a cost issue. Women with complicated pregnancies and children with birth defects cost public health and later public schools millions in extra expenses. But it?s one thing to tell to women to stop, quite another for some to do it. "Now once you become a nicotine addict or an alcoholic. It?s a whole different story," said Mahmoud Ahmed, a researcher with the Department of Obstetrics at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He says addicted smokers are particularly hard cases. By one estimate cited by the Texas Department of Health Services, only 20 percent of them manage to quit during their pregnancies. "That?s when medications are needed, said Ahmed. But aren?t pregnant women advised not to take many prescription drugs? "Exactly, but then it?s benefits versus risk," said Ahmed. Drugs like Zyban that help people stop smoking are not prescribed to pregnant women because it?s not known if they might harm the fetus. Another researcher at UTMB, Tatiana Nanovskyaya, is trying to find out if they do. "You can predict what adverse effect it can cause, " said Nanovskyaya. How? At a laboratory located down the hall from the delivery room at UTMB?s John Sealy Hospital, researchers receive a mother?s placenta just moments after birth. The researchers then attach tubes to the placenta, mimicking the flow of blood, and inject the drugs to see how much passes through the placenta, which provides food and oxygen to the fetus. Depending on what they find, doctors might eventually start prescribing the stop-smoking drugs to pregnant women. But whether it?s smoking or drinking or both, the Houston mothers said far more needs to be done in their communities to publicize the danger. Yolanda Ross said she wished she had known more back when she was pregnant because she said the feelings of guilt can be overwhelming. "I cried, I cried, I cried because I knew that I did this to my baby," said Ross. Her daughter is in school now but needs lots of special therapy. So does Nicolas Alejandro. Their mothers cannot change the past, but they want others to learn from it. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/81a90df3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 9 16:44:42 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 9 16:46:08 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Fetal alcohol hits South Dakota hard Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100109104446.0398eda0@ncf.ca> "...health care reform legislation making its way through Congress would insure more Americans, and that will improve the delivery of information about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy, early diagnosis of fetal alcohol disorders and treatment...." http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100109/NEWS/1090312/1001/news Argus Leader Sioux Falls, South Dakota Fetal alcohol hits S.D. hard Education seen as key solution Peter Harriman ? pharrima@argusleader.com ? January 9, 2010 Sen. Tim Johnson listened Friday to officials from the University of South Dakota Center for Disabilities describe the challenges of studying and preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as tight budgets constrain their ability to understand the scope of a problem that seems to afflict South Dakota more than other states. In 2007, Johnson introduced the Advanced FASD Research, Prevention and Services Act. If passed, it would charge the National Institutes of Health with bringing resources to bear against fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Absent that mandate, South Dakota competes for a smaller pool of NIH funding needed to study the prevalence of FASD in the state and to educate health care providers, said Kristin Blaschke, the disabilities center's development director. A study done with Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana suggests ongoing work is needed, said Judy Struck, the center's executive director. It found 20 percent of mothers drank alcohol during some stage of pregnancy, and children affected by fetal alcohol disorders often are not diagnosed until ages 8 to 12. "Is it fair to say we are raising a generation of brain-disabled young people as long as the fetal alcohol problem continues?" Johnson asked. "That's a heavy statement," Struck said. She added that while evidence is too scarce to be conclusive, "I think South Dakota has a bigger issue than some other states." Struck also told Johnson that while fetal alcohol disorders frequently are associated with the state's tribal reservations, it is more widespread. Women who drank during pregnancy typically used other drugs, as well, she said. Austin Winberg, a study project director, said a component of the fetal alcohol disorders inquiry in nearby states involved attempting to persuade women to stop or reduce drinking during pregnancy, and 76 women did so for a 90-day period. While disabilities center officials stressed the need for research funding, educating women in communities statewide also is crucial. Johnson said education and alcohol intervention services are being paired with the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. He also said health care reform legislation making its way through Congress would insure more Americans, and that will improve the delivery of information about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy, early diagnosis of fetal alcohol disorders and treatment. The issue also is receiving increased attention in Congress, he said. Reach Peter Harriman at 575-3615. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100109/dee75525/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 11 19:39:56 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 11 19:46:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Did grief spark auto thefts?: Winnipeg Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100111193949.02d77458@ncf.ca> "...most of the teens in her program have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder...." http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/did-grief-spark-auto-thefts-80129212.html Winnipeg Free Press News Did grief spark auto thefts? Counsellor says teen's homicide may have prompted pals to steal again By: Shelley Cook 26/12/2009 1:00 AM THE recent spike in auto thefts in Winnipeg may be connected with the tragic death of the city's 26th homicide victim of the year, Jessie McKenzie. Liz Wolfe, program manager for the Empowering Justice program at New Directions, said McKenzie was a well-loved friend of many of the boys in her program, including Level-4 auto offenders. The 17-year-old was fatally stabbed in a Main Street bus shelter on Dec. 5 after apparently trying to intervene in a domestic dispute. Wolfe said many of the boys, ranging in age from 15 to 19, didn't know how to react to McKenzie's sudden and violent death. "The level of hurt and anger, I believe, (pushed) many of them to regress back to car theft," she said, explaining that most of the teens in her program have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Wolfe said people with FASD can be highly reactive and impulsive and have a tough time understanding cause and effect. Case workers of the Empowering Justice program work closely with the boys, their parole officers and Winnipeg police, Wolfe said, noting the program has had a high success rate. People need to understand that FASD is a disability that these kids have had since birth -- and cannot control, Wolfe said. Some kids with FASD become vulnerable to gang activity, especially if they don't have a strong family unit. "A lot of needs are met in ways like that," said Wolfe, referring to a gang lifestyle. "They learn how to steal cars from older brothers or gang members, and it's something that gives them a sense of mastery." Wolfe said that for Level-4 auto offenders who have FASD, having any skill -- even stealing cars -- is sometimes the only thing they've got. Although Wolfe believes some of the people committing recent auto thefts are acting out their grief over their friend, she is hopeful she and her team can help these kids find better outlets for their despair. "We can't, as a city, just toss these kids in jail," she said. "It can't end there." Wolfe would not discuss specific cases, but a stolen Hummer was involved in an accident that killed a Winnipeg man on Dec. 11, and teens in a stolen car led police on a high-speed chase Dec. 21. shelley.cook@freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 26, 2009 B1 Comments: 95 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100111/3ec969d9/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 11 19:47:58 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 11 19:52:07 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Volunteer says she loves helping out at kitchen: Fredericton, N.B. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100111194735.02d76f38@ncf.ca> "...for 90 per cent of our clients a bad decision was made for them when they were a child or before they were born...." http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/901276 The Daily Gleaner Fredericton, New Brunswick Volunteer says she loves helping out at kitchen Published Saturday December 26th, 2009 By JENNIFER DUNVILLE dunville.jennifer@dailygleaner.com [2 Photos] The Daily Gleaner/Ray Bourgeois Karen Stevens, a volunteer at the Fredericton Community Kitchen, prepares centre pieces for the tables on Christmas Day. Click to Enlarge Fredericton Community Kitchen cook Eugene Peters prepares salad for the Christmas Day dinner. Karen Stevens has trouble holding back tears when she thinks about the people at the Fredericton Community Kitchen on Christmas Day. As a longtime volunteer, Stevens has come to know many of the kitchen's clients as friends. She knows their stories and struggles, which is why she sacrificed her Christmas celebration with family this year to help make the holidays a little better for the less fortunate. "It's so easy to judge people, but once you spend some time here and you get to know the people who visit the community kitchen, you can't help but want to come back," Stevens said. "You don't end up volunteering here for yourself, for your image or for the other volunteers. "You end up being here because these people become an extension of your family and you want to do whatever you can to help them feel better." Stevens has volunteered at the community kitchen every Friday for about 12 years. This year, she helped decorate the kitchen and dining space with garland, green tablecloths and glass globes filled with Christmas ornaments. She handed out gifts and helped serve a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Eugene Peters, the kitchen's full-time cook, prepared eight turkeys, dressing, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, soup and all kinds of desserts for the 90-100 people expected to visit the kitchen Christmas Day. Though the small kitchen was cramped for the 15 volunteers, Peters wasn't surprised to see that everyone had a smile on their face while they worked. "I think most of us feel the same about this place. I, for one, would never go back to working in a commercial kitchen because the humanitarian effort going on here is inspiring," he said. "Our mission is to make our clientele as happy and feel as much of the Christmas spirit as possible." For Stevens, volunteering at the community kitchen has helped change her perspective. She admitted she used to judge homeless people and the less fortunate. She said she thought they made bad decisions that led them down the wrong path. "Like so many other people, I started out thinking they made their beds and now have to lie in them," she said, choking back tears. "I've come to realize that for 90 per cent of our clients a bad decision was made for them when they were a child or before they were born. They were born with fetal alcohol syndrome, born into abusive homes or born with parents who have mental illness or drug problems. "That was the life they knew growing up and that's often the life they grow up to lead. It wasn't a decision they made for themselves, it was a decision made for them." Community kitchen administrator George Piers said many of the longtime volunteers tend to continue working at the centre because of the people they meet. He said a person only has to get to know the clients and their stories to be touched and want to create change. "You come to realize that many of the people we serve on Christmas Day would've liked to have been with their own families, but for whatever reason they can't be," said Piers, who has worked at the kitchen for 27 years. "The volunteers take on the role of family. It's all about trying to make things a little better for the less fortunate and realizing that they deserve a nice Christmas too." Food for the large Christmas dinner was provided through donations from city residents. The funds for the kitchen's full-time staff are also donated. Piers said the service wouldn't be available 365 days a year if it weren't for dedicated volunteers and generous donations. "I just want to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of our clients to our volunteers who so unselfishly give up their time to help others," he said. But Stevens said she doesn't need to be thanked. Working with the clients, seeing their smiles and knowing the holidays are a little easier for them because of the work done at the kitchen, is all the thanks she needs. For more information on the Fredericton Community Kitchen or how you can help, visit www.frederictoncommunitykitchen.ca, www.theshelters.ca or call 457-1788. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100111/9ec907b2/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 11 19:58:08 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 11 20:04:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Vocational program: Red Deer, Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100111195759.02d76ad8@ncf.ca> "...The 20 students who attend the program each year have everything from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to autism, cerebral palsy or other unidentified conditions that have meant regular classes have been a challenge for them...." http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/local/Vocational_program_80213207.html Red Deer Advocate Central Alberta's Daily Newspaper Local News Vocational program By Stacy O'Brien - Red Deer Advocate Published: December 28, 2009 10:20 AM [Photo] David Fodchuk stocks ice at the south Sobey's store. He's part of Red Deer College's transitional vocational program. by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff Loading ice into a freezer on a day when the windchill outside has hit -33C, David Fodchuk is not the kind of employee to shirk his duty. If there is something to be done, he does it with a smile. If there is nothing to do, he finds something. A graduate of the Transitional Vocational Program at Red Deer College, he now works at Sobeys on the southside of Red Deer. Fodchuk has a developmental disability but it hasn't slowed him down. He has gone from being a courtesy clerk at Sobeys, helping customers with their groceries, shovelling snow and collecting carts, to stocking the freezer shelves with ice cream, gluten-free products and ice. When things are slow there, he'll help stock grocery shelves. It's a level of independence that likely wouldn't have happened without a special program for people with developmental disabilities at Red Deer College. The Transitional Vocational Program has been operating at the college since 1981 and it gives students not only the skills they need to work, but also the opportunities to live a full life. The 20 students who attend the program each year have everything from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to autism, cerebral palsy or other unidentified conditions that have meant regular classes have been a challenge for them. Students who are chosen for the program have their tuition, books and supplies paid for by the Skills Investment Strategy through Alberta Employment and Immigration. Those not collecting AISH also receive money for lodgings and other living costs. For Fodchuk, the program meant moving from his family's home in Beaumont to Red Deer and living at a townhouse near RDC. He learned what it was like to have roommates and got to explore all that Red Deer has to offer, going to hockey games, swimming at the Collicutt Centre and seeing plays. "We really work with our students as whole people," said Janice Findlay, program chairperson. "So as whole people, I mean we work on a number of areas beyond the employability skills." Now at age 22 and a couple of years out of the program, Fodchuk lives in a fourplex in Eastview, where his speciality dish is spaghetti and his team of choice is the Edmonton Oilers. He plays on a Special Olympics baseball team and curls. The owner/operator of Sobeys south, Trevor Aslin only has good things to say about Fodchuk and the RDC program. "I think the nicest thing about having David (Fodchuk) on staff is that he just takes ownership in what he is doing," Aslin said. One recent morning, Fodchuk was busily working in one of the grocery aisles. Aslin asked why he was in grocery and not the freezer department and Fodchuk said, "My ice cream order hasn't shown up." Aslin was impressed that Fodchuk didn't say his boss's ice cream order or the store's, but took ownership in what he was doing. "It's nice to have people who are that motivated. They own the position so that is refreshing at any level, whether it's the owner, the second-in-command or the general employee," Aslin said. He said the Transitional Vocational Program has been a good experience for the store with management learning as much about themselves and their management skills as the students have learned in the work experience positions they have done. Findlay said the program helps students gain independence and interpersonal skills. Guest speakers come in to tell students about safety in the home and at work and talk about employment standards. Students learn about managing their finances and about cheap entertainment in town. Each week during the 10-month program, participants spend two days in class and three days doing work experience, helping prep food at restaurants, stock shelves at stores, pre-trades, cinemas and clothing stores. The goal is for them to find paid employment by the end of the program in May. The program also offers a wide range of night school courses for others not in the main program, looking at math and money, healthy relationships and other topics. For Fodchuk, the program has made all the difference in him having an independent life with his many friends in the community and having a job he enjoys. "Most of it is pretty easy now," he said. "It's fun. I like it." sobrien@reddeeradvocate.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100111/4f0e9f27/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 12 22:08:26 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 12 22:10:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Experts: Self-medicating to deal with a mental problem is unwise: Bermuda Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100112220818.0205d438@ncf.ca> "...a significant proportion of those mentally challenged drug users are suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome brain damage caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb...." http://www.royalgazette.com/rg/Article/article.jsp?articleId=7d9cebf30030005§ionId=60 The Royal Gazette Bermuda Published: December 29. 2009 11:54AM Experts: Self-medicating to deal with a mental problem is unwise By Matthew Taylor [Photo] An unidentified man smokes marijuana. Drugs can help people beat mental problems or push them over the edge. In the second-part of a mini-series on mental health The Royal Gazette looks at why 'self-medicating' isn't a great idea. If shelling out vast sums for illegal drugs which will destroy your life seems like the height of insanity that's because it very often it is. Addicts are often seeking temporary relief from psychological conditions they don't know how to cope with. But instead of reducing their mental agony the self-medicating merely compounds it. Indeed Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute psychiatrist Chantelle Simmons said research showed that even among those aged 14 to 21 cannabis use was associated with a significant increase in development of psychotic symptoms later in life. She told The Royal Gazette: "I tell those who think that cannabis use is natural, that it's a 'erb no, it's clearly associated with doubling or even quadrupling the development of psychotic symptoms later in life. "These are things such as hearing voices, paranoia, perhaps thinking people are out to get you or trying to read your mind or control your thoughts. "There's visual hallucination. The most common disorder would be schizophrenia." It's a high price to pay for puffs of weed. And the alarming findings are backed up by respected medical journal The Lancet which in July 2007 published a summary of 35 studies assessing whether there was evidence to connect cannabis use to psychotic or mental health disorders. It found that individuals who had used cannabis were 41 percent more likely than those who had never used the drug to have psychosis. The risk increased relative to dose, with the most frequent cannabis users more than twice as likely to have a psychotic outcome. Sandy Butterfield, head of drugs counselling service FOCUS, believes around 40 percent of clients coming to her are suffering from mental illnesses such as personality disorder or schizophrenia. They are referred to mental health professionals at Turning Point. And she believes a significant proportion of those mentally challenged drug users are suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome brain damage caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb. "They have a cognitive disability. It could be that they process information a little slowly or they have difficulty learning." It is vital to treat all the problems, both mental and addiction problems said Mrs. Butterfield. "If someone hears voices and you stop the drugs, the voices will be predominant and they will go back to the drug of choice. If they can be seen by a psychiatrist then we can get a balance." Dr. Philip Brownell, a Bermuda-based psychiatrist at Benedict Associates, worked at a psychiatric hospital in the US treating drug addicts with psychological disorders where a twin-pronged approach was taken. Previously addicts were urged to beat their habit before looking at their mental problems. Then the trend moved to treating both at once. "We would get a lot of lower socio-economic people coming in. "They couldn't afford to get the regular prescribed medications for things like serious mental disorder and schizophrenia, so what they would do is get the drugs on the street because they needed to do something to alter that agony. "They were really self-medicating, treating themselves with drugs." Hard drugs are the most obvious forms of self-medicating, but Dr. Brownell said everything people did altered their brain chemistry in some way, for better or worse. "When you go out and run like mad your endorphins go up." The reaction has similarities to heroin-type substances but when not overdone won't be harmful. Over-eating, overspending, gambling, sexual addiction, overwork and rage will all alter the brain chemistry said Dr. Brownell. Addicts didn't randomly pick their drugs, said Dr. Brownell, they choose the ones that felt right to them. "The term 'drug of choice' isn't a flippant term, they choose the one because they like what it does for them. "Some people gravitate towards uppers because they want stimulation, others are driven up a wall already, they want to dampen everything, go semi-conscious." Drugs will leave their mark in their own ways, said Dr. Brownell. "If you have a strong experience like cocaine, that etches the brain, the brain wants to run everything down that channel again. "It is very hard to break out of that channel and find another way to live because you want to live like that again. "There was a commercial on TV a few years back saying they don't call it dope for nothing. That is kind of like what marijuana does, it dulls a person's ambition, motivation, striving for achievement. "It makes people super laid-back, and because of the power of the drug compared to (how it was in) the 60s and 70s it is much more powerful so the statistic of people becoming psychotic is significant," said Dr. Brownell. "People get into a lot of paranoia with drug use, it is not just about getting caught doing something illegal. People get pretty scrambled. "If you apply these different drugs people can develop serious mental disorders." Some people can handle it, but no-one knows if they are going to get lucky. Those who don't sometimes end up in his sessions where he counsels drug addicts to make fundamental changes in their life so they don't relapse. "That's the approach I look at when I think about any psychological disorder. You can go down one of two roads in treating it." Medication will merely blunt the symptoms whereas psychotherapy will chart a lifestyle change to ensure success in the long haul, believes Dr. Brownell. Sometimes it means going over problems in childhood, sometimes it's more about changing the way they look at life now rather than looking backwards. It involves instilling discipline with diet, sleep and exercise. Good habits become automatic. Not only do people feel healthier but they have the ability to say 'yes' and 'no' to themselves. "You have to say yes, I am going to exercise, no I am not staying in bed," said Dr. Brownell. "If you build up that capacity when the triggers come that normally lead to relapse you will have more capacity to say yes to the positive things, no to the negative things." And, according to the Mid Atlantic Wellness Association's Dr. Simmons, not all of Bermuda's drug abusers are interacting with the backstreet dealers, some are fiddling the medical system and abusing prescription drugs. She said: "I have been involved with a few cases since I have been back which is only since August. People are obtaining prescriptions from multiple physicians. "We referred a client for treatment who had been obtaining opioids from multiple GPs in the community." Ironically properly prescribed medicine can be the mental patient's saviour. Dr. Simmons said the importance of keeping up with the medicine was as important with mental illness as physical illness. Failure to do so was a significant cause of relapse. But mixing illegal drugs with prescribed medication can be lethal heroin for example combined with prescription drugs can interfere with the breathing mechanism and be fatal. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100112/27d8a55a/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 12 22:15:28 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 12 22:16:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] The Cat5 Canes: Special-needs hockey team forms locally Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100112221519.0205ce90@ncf.ca> "...Team members have a variety of disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome...." http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/dec/29/the-cat5-canes-special-needs-hockey-team-forms-loc/ Winston-Salem Journal Winston-Salem, North Carolina The Cat5 Canes: Special-needs hockey team forms locally, hopes to play Raleigh team By Mary Giunca | Journal Reporter Published: December 29, 2009 Special-needs children often spend a good part of their childhoods on the sidelines, with few opportunities for regular physical exercise and the socialization that it brings. But local hockey parent and coach Paul Hopgood is hoping to change that with a newly formed special hockey team, the Cat5 Canes West. "There's some kind of connection between skating and these kids," he said. "They like it." The team practices on Sunday afternoons at Joel Coliseum Annex from 4:30 to 5:30. Hopgood has two sons who play hockey and a daughter, 4, who has developmental delays. In the fall, he got interested in helping the Cat5 Canes, a special hockey team he had heard about in Raleigh. In soliciting volunteers for that effort, he heard so much enthusiasm for starting a team here that he decided to go ahead. The team had its first practice earlier this month. Many of the children get excited as they don their skates, jerseys and shin guards and head out onto the ice. Spills are frequent, but so are high fives from mentors when they get up and keep skating. The echo in the rink drowns out cries of, "Mommy" and "Look." Some children use walkers and chairs to help them with balance. For the smaller ones, a mentor on each side keeps them going. Falls tend to come in two varieties: a sudden fall to the knees with a quick rise, or a flat out bug-on-your-back fall with much help and encouragement from mentors. Keeping the children on the ice is important, Hopgood said. Anyone who feels overwhelmed takes a timeout at the player's bench to one side where parents offer encouragement. Then it's back to practice. There are 12 children on the team roster, three coaches and a dozen children and adult mentors. The program is a joint venture between the Triangle Special Hockey Association in Raleigh and the Winston-Salem Youth Hockey Association. Both associations are nonprofit, and there is no charge to participate. The equipment is furnished by Triangle Special Hockey, which supports the Raleigh team. Team members have a variety of disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome. Children are 5 to 13, but the program can take those as old as 17. Children need to be able to walk unassisted. Hopgood said he hopes to expand the program to include sled hockey for children who can't skate and to eventually have two or three teams in the area. Hopgood said he intends to progress to scrimmages, once the majority of children can skate, with a goal of eventually playing the special hockey team in Raleigh. If parents have doubts about whether their children can handle the ice, Hopgood tells them to give the practice a try. Playing on a team offers experiences that can't be duplicated at home or at school, he said. Children learn to work with each other toward a common goal, take direction from coaches and to win and lose gracefully. The team experience is good for parents, as well, he said. Parents of special-needs children can often get wrapped up in the extra care required to help their children. That can be intense and isolating. With athletics, parents can enjoy a chance to sit in the stands, have fun and watch their children play a sport. Kris Drum said that for her son Noah, 11, being able to don a uniform is a huge attraction. Noah has Down syndrome and he has a pacemaker, which means that he can't play contact sports. She likes the exercise playing hockey gives Noah and the confidence it builds. "Finally he can say to his brother, 'I can do something you can't do,'" she said. Most of the children had not been on ice before attending their first practice a few weeks ago. Hopgood said that after the first practice was over, one of the adults told him that she was amazed at how well the children did. The children fall down, and they cry for their mommies, but that happens on all hockey teams, Hopgood said. His goal is to have a mentor work with the same team member each time so that he or she can respond to individual needs. For Lucy Dean, 8, the program has already been a confidence booster. Lucy is developmentally delayed, her mother, Stephanie Dean, said. Lucy had taken five figure-skating lessons in a mainstream class and was accustomed to being behind the others. At special-hockey practice, she is one of the few children who can consistently stay up on the ice. "She loves special-needs sports because she doesn't need to stress over how good she is," Dean said of her daughter. For special-needs children, every effort counts, she said."The more you do, the easier it is," she said. "You get out there and try your best." mgiunca@wsjournal.com 727-4089 For more information, go to www.trianglespecialhockey.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100112/6067142c/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 12 22:43:03 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 12 22:46:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Kerry Jang pushes Vancouver city council to address mental health Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100112224246.0205c970@ncf.ca> "...there is less schizophrenia and much more brain trauma, fetal alcohol syndrome, and bipolar disorder among this population than the researchers initially expected..." http://www.straight.com/article-277517/vancouver/jang-pushes-council-address-mental-health straight.com Vancouver's Online Source Lifestyle - Health - Health Features December 30, 2009 [] Kerry Jang pushes Vancouver city council to address mental health By Charlie Smith [] [Photo] Coun. Kerry Jang, a UBC psychiatry professor, stands outside the Bosman Hotel, which will house mentally ill people between 2010 and 2013. Lots of politicians are lawyers. Some are community activists. Others hail from the labour movement or business. But Kerry Jang is the only B.C. politician who is also a professor of psychiatry, and he's trying to put this expertise to good use as a member of Vancouver city council. The most visible example came in the recent approval of a $500,000 council grant to the Mental Health Commission of Canada to convert the 102-unit Bosman Hotel into supportive housing for the mentally ill. It's part of a four-year national research project to assess ways to help homeless people with high and moderate needs. The hotel on Howe Street will be used for about three years between 2010 and 2013 at a cost of nearly $8.2 million, with funding coming from the commission, the shelter portion of income allowance, the Streetohome Foundation, and the Vancouver Foundation. Jang, who is a member of the UBC faculty of medicine, told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview that city staff worked closely with the commission and the Portland Hotel Society to win the support of the neighbours. "When they thought it was necessary, they called me in," he quipped. In 2008, SFU's Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addictions reported that there were approximately 19,500 adults in Vancouver in 2005 with severe addictions and/or mental illness. Of those, 1,800 were described as "absolutely homeless". Another 2,280 were at risk of becoming homeless. Many assume that all homeless people are mentally ill, but Jang said this is a mistaken impression. He noted that it's unknown what percentage of homeless people actually meet the definition of mental illness as laid out in the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. "To be honest, the estimates are all over the place, and that's what bothers me," he said. To address this information gap, two of his colleagues in the UBC psychiatry department, Bill Honer and Bill MacEwan, are conducting a study of the mental health of formerly homeless people who live in supportive-housing units. Jang said that these psychiatric assessments sometimes include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which creates detailed pictures of the brain. He revealed that preliminary results indicate there is less schizophrenia and much more brain trauma, fetal alcohol syndrome, and bipolar disorder among this population than the researchers initially expected. "So we're kind of surprised by that," Jang said. Last January, council approved Jang's motion to create a mental-health plan for Vancouver. In the preamble, he mentioned that the Vancouver Police Department reports that a third of its calls involve at least one person who is mentally ill. "Having a mental-health plan for Vancouver will outline the various roles of governments and capitalize on the strengths," he said. "If we're good at real estate, land use, and building use, then we should be harnessing this as opposed to doing it in an ad hoc way." A staff report in July estimated that the city spends $28 million per year responding both proactively and reactively to situations involving mental health and addictions. This includes everything from the cost of buying land designated for supportive housing to fire and rescue calls to civic-staff time dealing with addicted and mentally ill people. Jang said staff have expressed concerns to council about possible provincial downloading of mental-health services and suggested that by defining the city's role, this could be avoided. In the end, the city decided to focus its attention on building capacity rather than taking on the cost of delivering more health services, which are under provincial jurisdiction. As the city opened more shelters, the expertise to address mental-health issues was being dispersed. "Some have lots of skill and experience," Jang said. "Some have virtually none. As one guy put it, 'We had some workers who couldn't tell when somebody was acting out if they were just being an asshole that day or if they were having some sort of psychotic break.' They couldn't distinguish between the two." To help address this, he said, the city is working with the Canadian Mental Health Association to educate emergency workers and other staff. When asked how the average person can determine if a person is psychotic, Jang advised examining what precipitated the behaviour. If there's an underlying cause for a person's anger, it's less likely that he or she is psychotic. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100112/7f3e0fd4/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Tue Jan 12 22:50:35 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Tue Jan 12 22:52:07 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Regulatory crystallography Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100112225026.0205c3c8@ncf.ca> "...He and his colleagues are involved in collaborations looking at the relationships in fetal alcohol syndrome, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)..." http://www.spectroscopynow.com/coi/cda/detail.cda?id=22754&type=Feature&chId=8&page=1 spectroscopyNOW.com X-ray Regulatory crystallography [January 1, 2010] [Photo] Kobor, getting to the heart of epigenetic chromatin regulation The structure and function of a chromatin regulator in yeast has been determined using X-ray crystallography. Chromatin is a dynamic complex formed between DNA and proteins that packages up the genetic code in chromosomes. Its regulators are involved in countless cellular processes and can have a profound effect on human health and diseases making them important targets for the development of pharmaceutical therapies for a whole range of medical problems. The study could represent a major advance in understanding epigenetics, the influence of environmental effects on the expression of genes. "Epigenetics is a very important component for studying human health," Michael Kobor of the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, and the Department of Medical Genetics, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, is on record as saying, "There is increasing evidence that epigenetic modifications are altered in a variety of diseases, such as cancer, and neurodegenerative disease." Kobor adds that, many different environmental factors affect the molecular machinery of the DNA packaging process. He and his colleagues are involved in collaborations looking at the relationships in fetal alcohol syndrome, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as working with psychologists and population health scientists on the effects of socio-economic status on gene expression, for instance. Kobor and graduate students Alice Wang and Julia Schulze working with Emmanuel Skordalakes, Jennifer Gin, James Berger, and Jasper Rine of Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, at the California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences, at the University of California, Berkeley, have reported the structure and function of a key player in regulating chromatin in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) the protein Yaf9. This is a subunit of both the essential histone acetyltransferase complex NuA4 and the ATP-dependent chromatin remodelling complex SWR1-C, which deposits histone variant H2A.Z into euchromatin. The human "equivalent" of this protein is the close relative GAS41. The chromatin regulator Yaf9 contains a module called the YEATS domain, which is found in many other proteins implicated in chromatin regulation and cancer. Scientists have until now been unable to resolve the molecular structure and function of YEATS domain proteins. But Kobor and his colleagues have now used advanced X-ray crystallography to obtain the first detailed picture with atomic resolution (2.3 angstroms) of this important protein structure. Intriguingly, the team has found that the protein structure is conserved between yeast and humans, suggesting a deep shared evolutionary history. They also revealed a requirement of the YEATS domain for two different mechanisms by which chromatin can be modified. "The Yaf9 YEATS domain consisted of a beta-sandwich characteristic of the Ig fold and contained three distinct conserved structural features at least two of which are important for the protein's function. The structure of the Yaf9 YEATS domain was highly similar to that of the histone chaperone Asf1, a similarity that extended to an ability of Yaf9 to bind histones H3 and H4 in vitro," the team explains. They also used structure-function analysis, to show that the YEATS domain was required for Yaf9 function, histone variant H2A.Z chromatin deposition at speci?c promoters, and H2A.Z acetylation. Histones are the major protein constituent of chromatin and can be modified fundamentally by environmental effects. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100112/68b8a5b0/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 10:37:41 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 10:40:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Longtime educator explores link between prenatal alcohol exposure, violent behavior: Minnesota Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100111192019.02d77b48@ncf.ca> http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x306495990/Longtime-educator-explores-link-between-prenatal-alcohol-exposure-violent-behavior The Free Press Mankota, Minnesota Local News Longtime educator explores link between prenatal alcohol exposure, violent behavior By Tanner Kent The Free Press MANKATO January 10, 2010 11:07 pm ? ?Did your mother drink alcohol during her pregnancy?? The question is direct, arresting and, perhaps to some, offensive. But it?s also a question that longtime educator and Mankato resident Jody Allen Crowe believes is vital to the health of this country. ?We live where the abnormal has become normal,? Crowe said. ?And we will not know the full impacts (of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) until we get reliable data on how much mothers drank during their pregnancy.? Crowe spent much of his career as a school leader and superintendent, mainly on Native American reservations, before he devoted his life to raising awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. He?s researched the topic extensively, has met with experts on the topic from around the country and recently self-published a book ? ?The Fatal Link? ? about his investigation into the connection between school shooters and prenatal exposure to alcohol. He?s also starting a local chapter of Healthy Brains for Children ? a non-profit he created to work with existing agencies to raise awareness and create prevention programs for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The Mankato chapter, he said, will be sponsored by the Greater Mankato Area United Way and host its first meeting in the next several weeks. ?We want to amplify the message already out there and fill in the gaps where nothing is happening,? said Crowe, who also wants to work with high school and college students to start local school chapters. ?This will be a long, sustained effort.? Alcohol is a teratogen, a substance that causes irreversible malformation of an embryo. In the case of alcohol, the toxic ingredient is ethanol, which attacks the central nervous system of an unborn baby and kills brain cells. According to research presented by Crowe, a 2001 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children with any prenatal exposure to alcohol were 3.2 times as likely to exhibit delinquent behaviors; a 2007 study of nearly 5,000 mothers and 8,600 children found that behavior problems increased for each additional day a mother drank during the average week. Crowe?s own research goes a step further by investigating the links between criminal behavior and prenatal exposure to alcohol. After interviewing inmates of the Crow Wing County Jail in Brainerd, Crowe found that 94 percent had mothers who drank alcohol. After interviewing friends, family and acquaintances of the mothers of seven school shooters in Minnesota and Wisconsin since 1966, he found all of them fit the profile of a child who was prenatally exposed to alcohol. He was also able to personally confirm that four of the mothers drank heavily during pregnancy, including Joanne Weise ? the mother of Red Lake shooter Jeff Weise ? who told Crowe she believed her binge drinking while pregnant played a role in her son?s actions. ?For me to see hope for the future,? said Crowe, reiterating that alcohol-related brain damage is irreversible, ?I have to work with prevention.? With one-fourth of all mothers reporting in a recent Minnesota Department of Health survey that they drank alcohol while pregnant, Crowe said he is worried the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol go far deeper than anyone imagines. To combat the problem, Crowe suggests that law enforcement and medical professionals begin keeping data on fetal alcohol exposure and that insurance companies begin incentivizing healthy pregnancies by rewarding mothers who submit to, and pass, alcohol screenings. ?These investments would absolutely pay a return,? Crowe said. Crowe?s interest in the topic began in 1966, when he was a fifth-grader in Grand Rapids. That was the year when David Black became the first school shooter in this country?s history by fatally wounding Grand Rapids school administrator Forrest Willey. The event only became more ingrained in Crowe?s memory during his career as an educator. As a school leader on several reservations in Minnesota and Idaho, Crowe said he witnessed first-hand the debilitating effects of alcohol. Sexual promiscuity, drug use, depression and anger were not just common, but prevalent, at his schools. Crowe has been cursed at, spit on, sucker-punched and has had to wrestle weapons away from students more than once. But Crowe said he is convinced now more than ever that many of those children had no choice. With brains irreparably damaged from prenatal exposure to alcohol, he said those students serve as a constant reminder that all children deserve a healthy brain. Photos Jody Allen Crowe is a Mankato resident and longtime educator who has focused his life on raising awareness about the dangers of prenatal exposure to alcohol. The former director of TEAM Academy charter school in Waseca recently wrote a book detailing the connection between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and school shooters. The Free Press -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/310c3e3a/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 12:04:07 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 12:04:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Having Faith in the Polar Girls' Prison: book review Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115115455.042dd108@ncf.ca> [Another review of this book by Devon Code was published in National Post on March 14, 2009 and also in Saskatoon Star Phoenix on April 18 "Bleak novel shines in expressiveness" I actually ordered and read this book. It is truly bleak but interesting - a rendering of the experience of the girls themselves as from them - inside Trista's head. Written by someone who has really worked with girls like this. Also about what it is like to live in detention in the western Arctic.]ER "...Trista is one-quarter Inuvialuit and 15 when she has Faith, a premature child who is deaf, brain-damaged and diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome...." http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/3085 The Dominion Media Co-op - Halifax, Vancouver News from the grassroots December 28, 2009 December Books New works by Hall, Rogers and With by ... Megan Stewart The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca Having Faith in the Polar Girls? Prison Cathleen With Viking Canada: Toronto, 2009 Having Faith isn?t about trust, belief, or religion. It?s about a girl having a baby girl while in prison. Trista is one-quarter Inuvialuit and 15 when she has Faith, a premature child who is deaf, brain-damaged and diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Born into a violent night following punches to her mother?s belly and the bloody death of a store cashier, Faith spends the first three months of her life in a juvenile detention facility before being shipped south to a foster family. Her mother spends those same months deluded, detached or drugged. As Trista gropes through her days at the Polar Girls' Prison, each brings greater loss and self-disappointment as her plans for motherhood are dashed as quickly as her approaching court sentence. As Trista draws further into herself, novelist Cathleen With is at her best. It?s unclear what Trista remembers and lets ruminate in her head and what she shares with the staff and other girls at the prison. These monologues can be disorienting, but through the course of the narration, they become more frequent, more confusing and we can appreciate Trista?s own bewilderment, loneliness and longing. The author lived and taught in Inuvik and here builds an insulated world of snow drifts, ice roads, wolf trim on parkys and the dark, northern secrets of molestation, alcoholism, gambling and neglect. At the Writers and Readers Festival in Vancouver last year, With said she has seen girls ?just go sideways.? ?They would talk about their life as if it were going to be over by the time they were 30. Suicide. Drugs. Whatever. Better get on with life.? Born to a 13-year-old mother in Jackfish Bay, a remote, fictional town outside of Iqaluit, Trista inherits a world where men slip little girls fivers to get them off. ?Sometimes you don?t even know what the sexual assault is,? said With in Vancouver. And speaking for the young abused characters in Having Faith, ?Oh, that happened too. Maybe that?s why I can?t get my shit together.? Trista?s voice is urgent and desperate and sometimes buoyant. With opens the door for her redemption, but this novel offers little reprieve. The prose evokes cold climes, ghosts that haunt and forgive, sunless days and frozen bodies in the permafrost, but With?s scenes foster a sense of faith?a confidence in survival, strong women, intuition and love. Trista inherits aspects of her grandmothers? cultural knowledge and skill?but barely. She cherishes their values and generosity, but doesn?t have the social support or maturity to embrace it. With has surrounded Trista in female role models who flash through the narration as potential futures for the inmates at the detention facility. Having Faith speaks to trust and spirit, but Trista learns it?s also about having faith in family and the friends we chose as family. With received acclaim for Skids, a short story collection about kids living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and again in Polar Girls, With brings us a harrowing and mesmerizing voice of a young Canadian fighting to survive on the margins of society. ?Megan Stewart Megan Stewart is an independent journalist in Vancouver, where she is completing her graduate degree at the University of British Columbia. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/20cf944a/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 12:44:26 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 12:46:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Can We Trust the Results of Research Done on Children? Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115095618.03640a80@ncf.ca> http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100111155110.htm Science Daily News Science News Can We Trust the Results of Research Done on Children? ScienceDaily (Jan. 12, 2010) ? New research finds that flawed medical research could lead to children receiving treatment that either doesn't work or is harmful. ---------- Lisa Hartling, co-director for the University of Alberta's Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence, looked at 163 North American clinical trials involving children by using a new tool that rates the risk of bias, meaning the benefits and safety of the treatments may have been exaggerated. She found that 96 per cent of the trials have either an unclear or high risk of bias. This means children could be receiving treatments that either don't work or are harmful. It could also mean children are not receiving treatment that may help. In a paper recently published in the British Medical Journal, Hartling says some faulty research factors contributing to bias include selective reporting, inappropriate influence by the study sponsor or missing data. Hartling and her colleagues are using their study results as part of an international effort to develop guidelines on improving child-related research. The international group, called StaR Child Health, is co-lead by the Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence's Director Terry Klassen, and includes experts from the World Health Organization and the US Food and Drug Administration. ---------- Story Source: Adapted from materials provided by University of Alberta, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. ---------- Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats: APA MLA University of Alberta (2010, January 12). Can we trust the results of research done on children?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 15, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com? /releases/2010/01/100111155110.htm -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/7e58bbe3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 12:54:55 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 13:04:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Helping explain how alcohol affects a developing fetus: Australia Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115095653.03640a80@ncf.ca> http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/helping-explain-how-alcohol-affects-a-developing-fetus,16038 My Sunshine Coast Cotton Tree, Queensland, Australia News and Articles of Interest Helping explain how alcohol affects a developing fetus Friday 15 January Helping explain how alcohol affects a developing fetus Researchers at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), in collaboration with the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Finland, and the University of Washington, Seattle, have shown that consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy affects the activity of genes in the developing fetus and that these changes last into adulthood. ?We have long known that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm the developing fetus and have life-long effects on the individual?s health and well being. What our current research helps to explain is the underlying mechanism,? said researcher Dr Suyinn Chong from the Epigenetics Laboratory at QIMR. ?This is a new and exciting area where instead of studying the sequence of the genes, we are looking at the mechanisms that control our genes ? known as epigenetics. This is an extra layer of information attached to your DNA which helps regulate the expression of genes ? in other words whether they are switched on or off. These epigenetic changes determine whether a gene is converted into protein, which ultimately controls physical traits.? ?Using mice as a model, we have shown for the first time that alcohol consumed during the first trimester affects the developing fetus by altering the epigenetic information.? The researchers used specific mice, whose fur colour reflected these epigenetic changes. Half the mothers drank relatively moderate amounts of alcohol (equivalent to a peak blood alcohol reading of 0.12 in humans) during pregnancy, while the other half consumed water. The mice that drank alcohol had twice as many dark-furred offspring compared to mothers who were not exposed to alcohol. The resulting change in coat colour is an indication of the changed epigenetic state of the coat colour gene. Some alcohol-exposed offspring exhibited subtle skull malformations, similar to features seen in human fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) a condition that causes growth restriction, intellectual disabilities and changes to the shape and size of the skull as a result of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS has devastating long-term consequences for the individuals themselves and their families and the number of reported cases in Australia is increasing. Dr Chong is hopeful her team?s research will further our understanding of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and in the future these epigenetic changes may be used to aid diagnosis of this condition, allowing for early intervention. The paper will be published in PLoS Genetics on 15 January. QIMR QIMR is one of Australia?s largest and most successful medical research institutes. Our researchers are investigating the genetic and environmental causes of more than 40 diseases as well as developing new diagnostics, better treatments and prevention strategies. The Institute?s diverse research program extends from tropical diseases to cancers to Indigenous health, mental health, obesity, HIV and asthma. Article Contact Details Queensland Institute of Medical Research : PO Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, 4029, Brisbane Phone: 07 3845 3752 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/866690f4/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:10:49 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:11 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?Britain_plans_to_regulate_?= =?iso-8859-1?q?=91ludicrously_?= cheap =?iso-8859-1?q?_booze=92?= Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115131035.036913d8@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:10:21 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:16 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] MPs demanding alcohol clampdown: U.K. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115131005.0431c9c0@ncf.ca> [Does this Health Select Committee consider pregnancy & FASD?] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8446799.stm BBC news Page last updated at 01:08 GMT, Friday, 8 January 2010 MPs demanding alcohol clampdown Jane Hughes BBC health correspondent [Video] For and against: Kevin Barron MP (L) and industry spokesman Gavin Partington MPs have called for a fundamental overhaul of government policy to curb excessive drinking. The Health Select Committee called for minimum pricing, a rise in duty on spirits and white cider and stricter regulation of advertising. Its scathing report accused ministers of paying more attention to the drinks industry's views than health experts. It is estimated alcohol abuse in England and Wales kills 40,000 people and costs the economy ?55bn every year. The committee's report estimated that a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol would save 3,000 deaths a year. ? Even small reductions in the number of people misusing alcohol could save the NHS millions ? Kevin Barron, MP Minimum pricing has already proved a controversial measure, having been endorsed both by the Scottish Executive and the Chief Medical Officer for England, but rejected by the prime minister and the Conservative Party. Critics say it would penalise moderate drinkers, but the Health Select Committee rejected that as a myth. It said minimum pricing would only cost a moderate drinker a few pence a week, and would target those who drink very cheap alcohol. Industry's dependency The report said the drinks industry depends on people who drink hazardous or harmful amounts for three-quarters of its sales. And if everyone stuck to their safe drinking limits, it said alcohol sales in the UK would fall by 40%. The MPs were critical of attempts to reduce the harm from alcohol through education campaigns. They said these were ineffective at changing behaviour, and pointed out that drinks industry promotions cost many times what the government spends on encouraging responsible drinking. The report also criticised the response from government, saying it "ranged from the non-existent to the ineffectual." "The facts about alcohol abuse are shocking," said committee chair, Labour MP Kevin Barron. "Even small reductions in the number of people misusing alcohol could save the NHS millions. "What is required is fundamental culture change." 'Dithering' Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said the government was already working to reduce alcohol harm, but change would not happen overnight. The British Medical Association welcomed the report and agreed that the drinks industry and supermarkets exerted too much power over government alcohol policies. ? We can influence the irresponsible minority through better education and effective law enforcement ? Seymour Fortescue Portman Group "This cosy relationship needs to end, and we need radical action to tackle alcohol misuse," said their ethics head, Dr Vivienne Nathanson. Alison Rogers, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "This is a damning indictment of the way successive governments have tackled alcohol health harm, with action ranging from the non-existent to the ineffectual." Don Shenkar, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, said it beggars belief that the government was still "dithering". "If they don't act on these recommendations now, they'll lose all credibility in their stated attempts to change British drinking culture." But the Portman Group, which represents the drinks industry, said minimum pricing would affect responsible drinkers, and should be targeted at the minority who abuse alcohol. "We can influence the irresponsible minority through better education and effective law enforcement," said chairman, Seymour Fortescue. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8446799.stm Published: 2010/01/08 01:08:09 GMT -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/112a019a/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:09:34 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:19 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] MPs call for minimum alcohol prices & health warnings: U.K. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115130926.03752858@ncf.ca> [no detail about what the health warnings would be] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8447587.stm BBC News Page last updated at 08:20 GMT, Friday, 8 January 2010 MPs call for minimum alcohol prices and health warnings [VIDEO BBC News] Minimum prices should be set for alcohol and health warnings should be placed on bottles, according to a group of MPs. The Health Select Committee said current policies on alcohol were failing and the drinks industry was too dependent on problem drinkers. Branwen Jeffrreys reports READ MORE: MPs demanding alcohol clampdown -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/9d1ea351/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:09:54 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:22 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Tories call to revamp alcohol labelling: U.K. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115130944.03752af0@ncf.ca> Skipped content of type multipart/related-------------- next part -------------- From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:08:32 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:26 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] New grant opens up places for fetal alcohol conference: U.K. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115130826.03800508@ncf.ca> >Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:48:18 -0800 >From: NOFAS-UK >Subject: NEW GRANT OPENS UP PLACES FOR FETAL ALCOHOL CONFERENCE > >Do you know anyone in the UK or Europe who might want to attend this >conference? We now have a new grant which will subsidise more >places. Please circulate it, if you do know groups who might be >interested.. > >Best >Susan > >Susan Fleisher >Executive Director >NOFAS-UK >The National Organisation >For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome-UK >157 Beaufort Park >London NW11 6DA >England >Helpline 08 700 333 700 >Tel: 020 8458 5951 >Fax: 020 8209 3296 >email: nofas-uk@midlantic.co.uk >website: www.nofas-uk.org >Charity No. 1101935 > >------------------------------------------------------------ > >THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE ATKIN FOUNDATION > >a limited number of places at ??25 have been >made available for the ground breaking conference > >MATERNAL DRUG & ALCOHOL MISUSE > >The lasting effects from Childhood to Adulthood > >Over 1 in 100 children in Britain today are damaged for life >because their mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy . > > For the first time, UK and International Speakers will present >strategies and advice on how to deal with the fallout from mothers >drinking in pregnancy > >CPD Registered Conference >9th February 2010 >University of London, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1 > >To book fill in the attached form [no longer >attached] and email it to nofas- uk@midlantic.co.uk or >phone 0208 458 5951 or go to www.nofas-uk.org From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 13:08:19 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:04:32 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Maternal Drug & Alcohol Misuse Conf. London U.K. Feb. 9 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115130810.043272a0@ncf.ca> www.nofas-uk.org Click on CPD Registered Conference FASD - Childhood to Adulthood What does the Future hold for a baby born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder >Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:37:54 +0000 >From: NOFAS-UK >Subject: Maternal Drug and Alcohol Misuse Conference >To: SUSAN Fleisher > >THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE ATKIN FOUNDATION > >a limited number of places at ?25 have been made available > >for the ground breaking conference > >MATERNAL DRUG & ALCOHOL MISUSE > >The lasting effects from Childhood to Adulthood > >Over 1 in 100 children in Britain today are damaged for life >because their mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy . > > For the first time, UK and International Speakers will present >strategies and advice on how to deal with the fallout from mothers >drinking in pregnancy... > >CPD Registered Conference > >9th February 2010 >University of London, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1 > >To book fill in the attached form [no longer >attached] and email it to nofas- uk@midlantic.co.uk or >phone 0208 458 5951 or go to www.nofas-uk.org > > >THANKS TO A GENEROUS GRANT FROM > >THE ATKIN FOUNDATION > >a limited number of places at ?25 have been made available > >for the ground breaking conference > >MATERNAL DRUG & ALCOHOL MISUSE >The lasting effects from Childhood to Adulthood > >Over 1 in 100 children in Britain today are damaged for life >because their mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy . > > For the first time, UK and International > Speakers will present strategies and advice on > how to deal with the fallout from mothers > drinking in pregnancy (Agenda attached) > > >CPD Registered Conference >9th February 2010 >University of London, Thornhaugh Street, London WC1 > >To book fill in the attached form [no longer >attached] and email it to >nofas-uk@midlantic.co.uk or >phone 0208 458 5951 or go to www.nofas-uk.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/8b255c5c/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 14:07:12 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:10:09 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Price rises are key to tackling alcohol abuse: WHO Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115140704.036b5188@ncf.ca> [no mention of pregnancy or FASD in risks linked to alcohol] www.canada.com National Post Health Price rises are key to tackling alcohol abuse: WHO Stephanie Nebehay, Reuters Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 GENEVA (Reuters) - Binge drinking and other growing forms of harmful use of alcohol should be tackled through higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and tighter marketing regulations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended. The U.N. agency unveiled its draft global strategy to curb risks linked to alcohol which it estimates causes 2.5 million deaths a year from heart and liver disease, road accidents, suicides and various cancers -- 3.8 percent of all mortality. "Consumers, including heavy drinkers and young people, are sensitive to changes in the price of drinks... Increasing the price of alcoholic beverages is one of the most effective interventions to reduce harmful use of alcohol," the WHO said. But a key factor for success in controlling beer, wine and spirits consumption is an effective taxation system, said a report by the WHO, whose campaigning led to a global health treaty controlling tobacco in 2003. WHO's executive board will examine the draft strategy at its semi-annual meeting next week. The 34-member state body ordered the study two years ago after Nordic countries voiced concern about hazards of heavy drinking. The Global Alcohol Policy Alliance -- a coalition of medical professionals, researchers and non-governmental organizations -- has called on the board to approve the strategy and send it to WHO's annual assembly of health ministers in May for adoption. But the alliance said it was disappointed that the recommended marketing interventions included industry self-regulation which it said has not been effective to date. The Global Alcohol Producers Group, whose members include the world's largest alcoholic drinks group, Britain's Diageo, and the third largest brewer, Heineken of the Netherlands, said the draft was an "important and constructive step forward." But it cautioned against "an over-reliance on strict government controls such as over-taxation or advertising bans" which could lead to illicit products or sales emerging. (For full WHO report go to http://r.reuters.com/fak23h ) (Editing by Jonathan Lynn and Ralph Boulton) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/038d21d7/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 14:40:11 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:46:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] "FASD: a Framework for Intervention" workshop Barrie March 8 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115144004.042dc3b0@ncf.ca> Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:39:41 -0600 From: Kelly Robinson Subject: Fasworld Barrie & Caithkin Treatment Foster Homes Proudly Present: "Donna Debolt RSW" Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder "A Framework for Intervention" Please find attached [copied] a brochure for the upcoming workshop presenting "Donna Debolt RSW" A Framework for Intervention" If you have any questions please email fasworldbarrie@yahoo.ca We look forward to seeing you there. fasWorld fasworldbarrie@yahoo.ca & caithkin Treatment Foster Homes www.caithkin.ca Presents: "Donna Debolt RSW" Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder A Framework for Intervention March 8, 2010 At The Southshore Community Centre, Barrie, ON Date: Monday March 8, 2010 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Location: Southshore Community Centre 205 Lakeshore Drive, Barrie, ON L4N 7Y9 **Lunch will be provided REGISTER BY: February 22, 2010 The workshop is designed for individuals who are responsible for the care and supervision of those affected by prenatal alcohol exposure with an emphasis on the neuro-behavioural consequences. Participants will come to understand the developmental trajectory of this disorder within the context of providing environmental supports. The workshop will also entail a review of FASD as a brain-based physical condition with behavioural symptoms that often goes misunderstood and then move into the development of a framework for intervention. There will be opportunities for participants to learn how to make decisions for support in person-specific accommodations. Donna Debolt, RSW Donna Debolt is a social worker in private practice who translated her 30 years in child Protection into working as an outspoken advocate for children and adults who have lifelong challenges associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol. In her role as an FASD Specialist Donna challenges communities through case management, advocacy and training to develop and implement prevention, intervention and management strategies so families and communities can successfully cope and plan useful futures for these individuals. Donna developed curriculum for and taught in a unique program at the Lethbridge College specifically geared to preparing professionals to work in this field. Donna is also providing clinical support to a nationally recognized justice project that does case management work for individuals with FASD who interface with the justice system. Donna's belief is that most innovative programs are created through sharing experiences and skills we will create improved outcomes for individuals and their families. REGISTRATION FORM PLEASE REGISTISER BY FEBRUARY 22, 2010 $75.00 Please fill out the registration form and return with payment to: Fasworld Barrie, 49 High Street Suite 101A-2, Barrie, ON L4N 5J4 Cheques made payable to: Fasworld Barrie Support Group Name: Organization: Phone: Email: **A 10% discount will be offered to any Groups of 10 or more people. $67.50. Your attendance is confirmed once payment is received in full. All payments must be received with Registration forms. NO payments will be taken at the door. Refund Policy: Cancellations will be accepted until March 1, 2010 with a full refund. Thank you. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/9132faf2/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 14:40:50 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:46:16 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Women Gaining On Men In Drunken Driving Arrests: U.S. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115144043.042dc120@ncf.ca> http://www.courant.com/business/hc-drunkdriving1230.artdec30,0,4118656.story Courant.com The Hartfort Courant Hartfort, Connecticut A RISE IN ARRESTS Women Gaining On Men In Drunken Driving Arrests By MATTHEW STURDEVANT The Hartford Courant December 30, 2009 Along with greater social equality, better pay and more positions of power, women are gaining on men in another, less desirable measure: arrests for drunken driving. Arrests of men who drive under the influence still greatly outpace those of women. But while the number of arrests of men is declining, the number of arrests of women is gradually rising. "We've come a long way, baby, and this is not a good way," said Gail D'Onofrio, chairwoman of the emergency medicine department at Yale School of Medicine. As the state police continue this week with their annual holiday crackdown on drunken driving, a gender breakdown for arrests in recent days is not available, said spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance. But over a period of years, state statistics show that women are becoming a larger percentage of all drunken drivers in Connecticut ? rising from 17.4 percent of all arrests for driving under the influence in 1997 to 21.7 percent in 2006, the latest figures available, according to the state Department of Public Safety. That might not seem like a dramatic shift, but the trend is clear: Arrests of men fell by 17 percent during those years, while arrests of women have been flat or slightly up over the decade. Nationally, the trend is slightly different, but with the same end result: The number of women arrested for DUI increased by 28.8 percent between 1998 and 2007, while the number of men arrested for DUI dropped by 7.5 percent, according to U.S. Department of Justice crime statistics. The reasons for this shift are diverse, according to academics, insurance experts and law enforcement officials. More binge drinking among younger women and strict enforcement applied more often to women drivers might be contributing to the trend ? along with a cultural change that has put more women on the road and brought them into roles of responsibility, experts said. Young women are binge drinking more than in the past to keep up with their male counterparts, nationally and in Europe, said D'Onofrio, who is widely recognized for her work studying patients for alcohol and drug use. This is especially dangerous because women become more impaired from alcohol than men, partly because women have proportionately less water in their bodies than men, she said. But binge drinking among young women might not explain the whole shift. The answer might lie in the way that laws are enforced. Police are less lenient on women than they had been in the past, said Henry Kranzler, associate scientific director of the Alcohol Research Center at the University of Connecticut. Men account for the bulk of arrests for drunken driving ? 78.3 percent of arrests statewide in 2006 compared with 82.7 percent a decade before. But some men might be changing their behavior in response to increased punishments and a greater societal disapproval in the past 10 years, Kranzler said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a report this month that said the overall fatality rate from car crashes declined from 2007 to 2008. The same is true for crashes involving drunken men and women: There was a decline for both from 2007 to 2008. "If women are drinking more, there should be a greater increase in the fatalities related to drinking, and because there isn't ... it really does suggest that there's differential enforcement," Kranzler said. Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance disagrees with Kranzler's suggestion. "I don't think we treat males or females differently today as compared to yesterday," he said. One thing is certain: The insurance industry has taken note as the number of women drivers has increased in the past several decades. In 1963, 40 million motorists were women, accounting for 43 percent of drivers, said Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute. "Today, more than 88 million women are licensed drivers, almost half of all motorists in the U.S.," she said. Premiums for young women, in particular, have risen significantly, closing a gender disparity. Thirty years ago, young women drivers paid 46 percent above the base rate for adult drivers while young men paid 187 percent above the base rate. Today, young women pay 120 percent above the base rate and men pay 185 percent, almost exactly where they were. "Over many years, across the nation, we have seen an overall merging of the rates charged between men and women," said Ted Mitchell, a spokesman for MetLife Auto & Home. "This is likely the result of a number of factors ? such as the fact that women are more equally participating in this country's economic life and, therefore, are on the road more and driving many more miles." "As the driving habits of women more closely resemble those of their male counterparts," Mitchell said, "instances of aggressive driving and drunk driving have increased, and a woman's auto rates are likely to be similar to those of a similarly situated male counterpart." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/ce2840f1/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 15 14:41:06 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 15 14:46:19 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] CCSA...launch Youth World Cafes in NWT & Nunavut Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100115144058.042dbe90@ncf.ca> [No mention of pregnancy or FASD] www.ccsa.ca Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse What's new at CCSA http://www.ccsa.ca/2010%20CCSA%20Documents/ccsa-newrel-20100111-e.pdf The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Northern Elders and Going M.I.L.E.S Launch Youth World Cafes in Northwest Territories and Nunavut NWT and Nunavut, January 11, 2010 . The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), in partnership with Northern Elders and Going M.I.L.E.S., today announced the launch of the Youth World Cafes. The Cafes will be in Dettah, NWT from January 11-13 and Pangnirtung, Nunavut from January 18-20 and will bring together First Nations, Inuit and Metis youth and elders in a celebration of Indigenous knowledge. The Cafes will also include workshops that provide tools to encourage a healthy and holistic lifestyle, develop self confidence and positive self-esteem among youth, and help strengthen family ties . protective factors which can assist in the prevention of substance abuse among youth. Going M.I.L.E.S. (Motivate, Inspire, Lead, Empower, Succeed) is a program founded by Canadian actor Dakota House and jointly operated with Hypnotist Scott Ward. The program.s focus is on motivating, inspiring, and empowering Indigenous youth to be proud of their ancestry, culture and language, and to achieve their full potential. Dakota House is known for his role as Trevor TeeVee Tenia on the CBC television series .North of 60. and founded Going M.I.L.E.S. to give back to Canada.s Indigenous youth and their communities. "With Aboriginal people being the fastest growing demographic at over three-and-a-half times any other ethnic group in Canada, it is imperative to give a positive outlet to our youth, giving our future leaders the opportunity to tap into their natural talents and abilities. The Going Miles leadership initiative program assists youth in going that extra mile to ensure a successful future," said Dakota House. Indigenous Elders are central figures in the Youth World Cafes. Steeped in Indigenous language, ceremonies, and traditional knowledge of medicines and healing practices, they are uniquely positioned to help youth reconnect with their Indigenous culture and to help foster stronger family and community ties. In 2008, CCSA formed an Elders Advisory Council (EAC) comprised of 10 Elders from across Canada, including Inuit regions such as Nunavut and Nunatsiavut, Northern provinces and the Northwest Territories. Members of EAC were instrumental in organizing this year's Youth World Cafes. "I am deeply saddened by the destruction of my dene culture and language and the ever-widening gulf between my generation and those of the youth. Yes, some of my people do assimilate and are absorbed by mainstream society," said Allen Jacob, Elder and member of the Elders Advisory Council of CCSA. "However, have you noticed the statistics? They tell a deadly story... and are not getting better. The consequences are dire not only to my community but to mainstream society as well. The answer lies not in the destruction of my culture but in helping me to reconnect with my grandchildren and renewing my culture and language." The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse has focused on northern Canada since 2005, including adding the North to the National Framework for Action to Reduce the Harms Associated with Alcohol and Other Drugs, which guides CCSA.s efforts to mobilize national efforts to reduce the harms of substance abuse. CCSA partnered with Going M.I.L.E.S. to further extend its work with the North and to launch community-level initiatives focused on helping youth find their indigenous pride, self-esteem and resilience through traditional knowledge exchange. "CCSA is proud to be a part of making the Youth World Cafes possible and honored by the welcoming reception northern communities have shown us and Going M.I.L.E.S.," said Rita Notarandrea, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, CCSA. "CCSA recognizes that all Canadians have a role to play in the Truth and Reconciliation process and that Indigenous forums such as the Youth World Cafes, partnerships with Indigenous Elders and programs like Going M.I.L.E.S. are essential steps towards creating meaningful and lasting communication between generations and cultures." In addition to the Youth World Cafes, CCSA will also be holding two special focus groups with Aboriginal youth. The focus groups will provide CCSA with the opportunity to hear from Indigenous youth on the issue of substance abuse in northern communities and among the youth population. Their insights and experiences will inform A Drug Prevention Strategy for Canada's Youth . CCSA.s national drug prevention initiative aimed at reducing illicit drug use by Canadian youth between the ages of 10 to 24. To watch a video about the World Cafes initiative please visit: www.goingmiles.com To learn more about CCSA.s work in the North and its Elders Advisory Council please visit: http://www.ccsa.ca/Eng/Priorities/North --30 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100115/9ae5d585/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 16 10:34:17 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 16 10:40:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Alcohol during pregnancy chemically alters fetal DNA Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100116103406.0340c478@ncf.ca> "...If Chong's group can confirm that fetal alcohol syndrome causes epigenetic changes in humans too, it might allow the syndrome to be spotted earlier on in life...." http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18390-alcohol-during-pregnancy-chemically-alters-fetal-dna.html?full=true&print=true New Scientist Health Alcohol during pregnancy chemically alters fetal DNA 01:00 15 January 2010 by Jessica Hamzelou [Photo of pregnant woman drinking wine] Causing permanent damage (Image: Jamie Grill/Getty) Drinking too much during pregnancy can harm offspring permanently. Now experiments in mice suggest this may be because alcohol chemically alters the fetus's DNA, affecting how genes are expressed. It's well known that fetal alcohol syndrome occurs when pregnant women drink excessively and causes behavioural and physical harm to the child after birth. But we know little about the molecular mechanisms underlying the condition. Previous studies have shown that factors in the mother's environment during pregnancy can cause "epigenetic" modifications to the fetus's DNA. These don't alter the genetic code itself but might switch certain genes on or off, or increase or decrease their expression. To see whether a mother's alcohol consumption might affect the way her child's genes are expressed, Suyinn Chong at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Herston, Australia, and her colleagues turned to mice with genes for brown and yellow fur that are known to be modified by environmentally induced epigenetic changes. Fur coat "It's a good model to use because you can tell whether a mouse's environment is affecting the expression of its genes just by looking at its coat colour," says Chong. Females with two copies of the gene for yellow fur were mated with males that had two copies of the brown fur gene. This will yield a predictable ratio of brown, yellow and mottled offspring ? unless epigenetic factors are affecting gene expression. Pregnant mice were given alcohol instead of water to drink freely during the first half of pregnancy. Their blood alcohol levels were around 0.12 per cent ? the equivalent in a human of around one-and-a-half times the legal driving limit in the UK and US. When the team looked at the newborn mice, they counted twice as many brown mice as they expected. "This means that the alcohol was affecting the epigenome of the mice ? controlling whether their genes were switched on or off," says Chong. Liver changes Because the gene for fur colour isn't relevant to humans, the team next studied the DNA in the mice's liver cells. They spotted 15 genes that had been altered to either increase or decrease their activity in mice whose mums drank during pregnancy. Chong isn't sure what these genes do, but the changes show that the epigenetic influence of alcohol isn't limited to genes that affect fur, and suggest that a similar mechanism could be at work in humans. Infant mice that had been exposed to alcohol in the womb also had some of the symptoms of human fetal alcohol syndrome, such as a lower body weight and smaller skulls. This suggests that if women drink too much in pregnancy, epigenetic changes may cause some of the permanent symptoms seen in fetal alcohol syndrome in their children. Early help In some cases, epigenetic changes in people seem to be passed on to subsequent generations. Chong says she doesn't know whether epigenetic modifications due to alcohol are passed onto the next generation of mice, but she hopes to find out in upcoming studies. "This is an important development in understanding how alcohol exposure in the uterus causes lifelong detrimental effects in the offspring," says Michele Ramsay, a geneticist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. If Chong's group can confirm that fetal alcohol syndrome causes epigenetic changes in humans too, it might allow the syndrome to be spotted earlier on in life. "If we find specific genes have been affected by alcohol exposure, we could potentially screen newborns for the syndrome so that they can be offered social care early in life," says Chong. "But it's still early days." Journal reference: PLoS Genetics, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1000811 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100116/8f679e21/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 16 10:35:12 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 16 10:40:13 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Alcohol permanently changes foetus genes : Australia Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100116103451.033cb758@ncf.ca> "...'if we can screen the children, identify these epigenetic changes which might be markers of future educational or social problems, we could basically aid diagnosis and allow early intervention,'..." "...problems might be avoided with such a test, she said...." http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/alcohol-permanently-changes-foetus-genes-study/story-e6frf7jx-1225819973312 Herald Sun Melbourne City, Australia Breaking news Alcohol permanently changes foetus genes - study From: AAP January 15, 2010 2:07PM A STUDY showing alcohol consumption can permanently change genes in developing foetuses may be the first step to developing a diagnosis for foetal alcohol syndrome. Analysts at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research used mice to explain the mechanism behind changes to genes brought about by alcohol exposure during pregnancy. The study was in collaboration with the Sigrid Juselius Foundation in Finland and the University of Washington, Seattle. Researcher Dr Suyinn Chong said two groups of mice were fed either alcohol or water in the first stages of pregnancy and their "teen" offspring analysed. Those that drank alcohol had twice as many dark-furred offspring compared to mothers not exposed to alcohol. Some also had subtle skull malformation and lower body weight, similar to features seen in human foetal alcohol syndrome - a condition that causes growth restriction, changes to the size and shape of the skull and intellectual disabilities as a result of high-level alcohol exposure. Dr Chong said the changes were an indication of the changed epigenetic state of genes, caused by the alcohol. Epigenetic information is an extra layer of information attached to DNA that helps regulate gene activity, turning them on or off and affecting one's physical traits. In this experiment, the alcohol affected the genes to make a dark-coloured offspring more likely, Dr Chong said. She said further experimentation would now look at how other genes that control brain behaviour were altered by the alcohol. The work could eventually lead to a test that would screen a child's DNA and diagnose foetal alcohol syndrome, which was very difficult to determine, she said. "So what we hope is that if we can screen the children, identify these epigenetic changes which might be markers of future educational or social problems, we could basically aid diagnosis and allow early intervention," Dr Chong said. She said those with the syndrome had learning and memory problems that could lead to secondary problems such as mental health issues and trouble with the law. These problems might be avoided with such a test, she said. Dr Chong said it was hoped the next stage of study, examining behavioural changes, would be completed in two years. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100116/bcae1df5/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 16 10:35:27 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 16 10:40:16 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Social-services cuts are likely to backfire: B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100116103520.034085b0@ncf.ca> http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Social+services+cuts+likely+backfire/2440434/story.html Times Colonist Victoria, British Columbia Health Social-services cuts are likely to backfire Short-term savings will result in higher costs down the road By Anthony Ostler, Times Colonist January 14, 2010 Difficult economic times call for extraordinary measures. We get that. The diverse members of Board Voice are familiar in all kinds of ways with the challenging decisions that have to be made when revenues fall short. But we also know that cuts must be made with extreme care. Something that looks like a saving in the short term can increase costs in the long term if the downstream effects aren't considered. Many a failed business has found that out the hard way. The cuts B.C.'s health authorities have made in recent months are a prime example of the risks of short-term thinking. To save money, the authorities are scrapping many contracts with community social service agencies around the province. But the service cuts affect people with mental illness and addiction -- people who urgently need that support. What will happen to those vulnerable citizens? They will have to rely on far more expensive acute-care services when illnesses become more than they can handle. They will fall into deeper problems -- problems that will manifest as increased costs in the hospital emergency room, acute-care psychiatric services and for police and justice services. The health authorities must surely know this. They and the Ministry of Health Services have done much over the years to shift people to community-based and preventive services as a way of reducing acute-care costs. They're well-versed in the social determinants of health, and know that the real savings in health care come from providing strong, prevention-focused community support. That's smart thinking -- why spend a dollar when a proverbial well-invested dime will do? And yet against all common sense, it's those same preventive and support services being cut right now. Any "savings" realized by cutting preventive community programs will last only as long as it takes for the person dependent on that support to fall through the cracks and require more critical care. The health authorities must know that they're acting in complete disregard of the social determinants of health, and pushing costs even higher in the long term. Board Voice is a new non-profit made up of community board members from not-for-profit social-service agencies throughout B.C. Thousands of people like us sit as volunteer directors on the boards of hundreds of social-service agencies around our province. We are an independent voice for the social-services sector. We come with a world of experience in many fields and with much collective wisdom about our sector, our communities and the tens of thousands of British Columbians who rely on the diverse supports we know as "social services." Board Voice can sit as an equal at the table with those who fund and establish policy for our vital sector and work with our partners to improve communication, co-operation and decision-making. What has already been lost in B.C.? A few examples: - A provincial youth-treatment centre in the north that has helped more than 500 youngsters recover from addiction. - A south Island intervention program supporting people with mental illness to stay out of hospital. - A Fraser Valley support program for seniors caring for their ailing spouses. - Services in the Lower Mainland for adults with addictions. None of those needs will go away simply because the services no longer exist. But where people once were helped relatively inexpensively at a community social service agency -- staffed by skilled but comparatively low-paid support workers -- they will now be turning up in crisis needing much more costly services at emergency rooms and psychiatric wards around B.C. The health authorities suggest that lost services can be delivered "in-house." Perhaps, although we have seen no plans for bringing that to fruition. Regardless, costs will almost certainly increase in the majority of cases if the health authorities, and not lower cost community agencies, are providing services. We urge the health authorities to reconsider these flawed reductions to social services and to make budget decisions based on their extensive knowledge of the social determinants of health. Now more than ever, B.C. needs a strong safety net to help its citizens through the downturn. Our province will face a significant rise in costs and community crises if funders look for quick savings by cutting essential services. Anthony Ostler is board chairman of the Family Services of Greater Vancouver and chairman of Board Voice, launched in November as an independent voice for the social-services sector. Find out more at www.boardvoice.ca. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100116/40325267/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sat Jan 16 12:55:00 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sat Jan 16 13:04:08 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Province needs a hard look at what truly helps troubled youth: Nova Scotia & Ont. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100116125447.037c1700@ncf.ca> [An colleague from Adoption has shared this ongoing saga over the last year. She spent Mon, Tues and Wed in court with this family. She says Dr. Emmyrs from NB was insightful, prepared and a true advocate for youth in care. She sends these two articles] "...The boy had been diagnosed with myriad psychological disorders: Attention deficit hyperactivity, alcohol-related neural development, impulse control..." . From The Metro News, Halifax Province needs a hard look at what truly helps troubled youth http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/comment/article/422639--province-needs-a-hard-look-at-what-truly-helps-troubled-youth Stephen Kimber 15 January 2010 08:00 The real question, Dr. Charles Emmrys testified, is, "What works?" What doesn't work - what research shows doesn't work, he says - is shipping troubled kids out of their home provinces, away from family and community, and into residential institutions where they are more likely to be warehoused than treated. Emmyrs, a Moncton-based clinical psychologist and court-recognized expert in adolescent behaviour disorders, is an advocate for what he calls the "messy stuff." He argues governments should invest scarce resources in family, school and community supports instead of more buildings. Community-based care, he acknowledges, is "a long and tedious process, but it works." Emmrys was testifying earlier this week in the case of a 15-year-old Cole Harbour boy currently in Bayfield, a long-term Ontario treatment centre "for boys experiencing difficulties." The boy had been diagnosed with myriad psychological disorders: Attention deficit hyperactivity, alcohol-related neural development, impulse control. Mostly, he ran. He ended up selling his body, stealing cars, doing drugs. His grandparents, who had raised him since he was a toddler, couldn't cope on their own. In October 2008, they asked the Department of Community Services for help. Community Services' idea of helping was to make him a ward of the province and ship him off to Bayfield last June. When his grandparents tried to visit him in September, they say they were shocked by Bayfield staff's hostility and unwillingness to let them spend time with their grandson. They're now asking Family Court here to order Community Services to bring him back to Nova Scotia. The real question, of course, is whether the boy is benefitting at Bayfield. My own anecdotal experience isn't encouraging. Two years ago, while researching a story on children who slip through the social welfare cracks, I met a local street kid I called Carl. Carl had spent five years-from age 12-in Bayfield for problems that sound remarkably similar to this boy. As do his treatments, which included a lot of drug therapy. At one point, Carl says he was on 13 different psychotropic drugs. "I was like a zombie." Bayfield officials also discouraged Carl's mother from visiting or talking with her son on the phone, he told me. Did it work? No. After Bayfield spit Carl out at 17, he wound up as a psych patient in Nova Scotia where doctors finally took him off all the meds Bayfield had prescribed. When I met him, Carl was living on the streets, and didn't have much hope for himself or his future. What works-and what doesn't? Good questions. It's time the government started asking them. Stephen Kimber, the Rogers Communications Chair in Journalism at the University of Kings College, is the author of eight books. ______________________________________________ From The Chronicle Herald, Halifax. Family, officials clash over boy's future http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1162191.html By DAVENE JEFFREY Staff Reporter Thu. Jan 14 - 4:47 AM It will be at least next month before a Cole Harbour family finds out whether their troubled grandson may return to the province any time soon. The 15-year-old boy is in the care of Nova Scotia's Community Services Department but was sent to an Ontario residential youth facility last summer. Justice Beryl MacDonald is conducting a review in Halifax family court to determine whether the Bayfield Treatment Centre is equipped to give the teen the kind of care he needs. "We're trying to get them to place him in . . . a specialized foster home," said Patrick Eagan, a lawyer representing the family. The teen has a history of running away both from home and from care facilities and engaging in risky behaviour like sex with adult men and women. On one occasion, he went joyriding in a stolen car that he crashed into a pole, the court has heard. The boy has been diagnosed with cognitive limitations, fetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant behaviour. He has been raised by his grandparents for most of his life. The couple has sought the help of the Community Services Department and various programs. More than a year ago, the department took the boy into care. On Wednesday, the third day of the hearing, a social worker with the IWK Health Centre testified that the boy's grandparents do not have the necessary parenting skills to handle their grandson. "There aren't many parents who do possess the capacity to parent (the boy)," Johneen Kelly said. He needs to be in a secure facility with strict supervision "so he can't run away and cause harm to himself and to others," Ms. Kelly said. Last summer, the department tried to place the teen in two different secure treatment centres in Utah. But authorities would not let the boy into the U. S. During testimony Wednesday, Angela Jones, a Community Services Department casework supervisor, said that she did not know why the boy had been rejected entry. Mr. Eagan said the relationship between the department and his clients began breaking down when the grandparents began voicing their concern in public about their grandson being sent out of the country. Department officials no longer speak to the grandparents, the court has been told. "I didn't have any input in that decision," Ms. Jones testified, "but I certainly understand it." The agency and government officials were receiving lots of calls from the family and family advocates, Ms. Jones said. The communication was very "counterproductive." Last fall, the grandparents were also banned from speaking to the boy on the telephone, the court has heard. "(The boy) loves his grandparents. They are very important to him," Ms. Kelly said. "It would be very detrimental to him not to have ongoing contact (with his family and community)." However, his grandmother's disapproval of Bayfield is putting the boy in a loyalty bind, Ms. Kelly said. "He feels he is being disloyal to them by participating in the program," she said. Communications have recently resumed with the assistance of a psychologist who is working with the grandparents. On the stand Wednesday, the boy's grandfather testified that he can't talk to his grandson about much because of limitations put on them. The court has also heard that Bayfield offers group therapy sessions for its residents, but it is not a secure facility and the boy has run away. A worker at the treatment centre has testified that the boy has said he's trying to form a gang there. But if he's "being watched 24 hours by two people, how can he make plans to do this?" the man said. Since arriving at the facility, the boy has also been prescribed anti-anxiety medication and he is allowed to take up to 10 extra pills if he feels he needs them, the court has heard. The grandfather testified that he doesn't believe his grandson needs medication. He'd rather the boy got counselling and had a team of people working with him here, rather than stay at Bayfield where he is surrounded with other troubled teens The hearing is scheduled to continue Feb. 9. ( djeffrey@herald.ca) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100116/1507623e/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 17 08:15:11 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 17 08:16:12 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Manitoba Liberals announce candidate [from FASD work] Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100117081448.03223640@ncf.ca> "...Heppner has worked... with the Mount Carmel Clinic's fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program...now a self-employed social worker specializing in FASD training...." Manitoba Liberals announce candidate for byelection to replace Doer The Canadian Press. Toronto: Jan 15, 2010. WINNIPEG _ The Liberal Party of Manitoba has announced that Judi Heppner will carry its flag in the race to fill the seat in the legislature vacated by former premier Gary Doer. Heppner is a social worker with experience at MacDonald Youth Services, Marymound, and the Mount Carmel Clinic's fetal alcohol syndrome program. She is also a member of the University of Manitoba's board of governors. Heppner is the second candidate nominated to run in the Concordia byelection, which is expected to take place in the late winter or early spring. Premier Greg Selinger has yet to call the byelection to fill the vacant seat in the East Kildonan-area riding, which was occupied by Doer for 21 years until he stepped down last fall to become the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. The NDP has already nominated Matt Wiebe. The Tories and Green Party have yet to officially name their candidates. (Winnipeg Sun) Liberals to run social worker in byelection Larry Kusch. Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Man.: Jan 16, 2010. pg. A.8 A social worker and community activist will carry the Liberal banner in the upcoming provincial byelection in Concordia. Judi Heppner, who has spent much of the past 20 years advocating for children at risk, was acclaimed at a constituency meeting attended by about 50 people Thursday night. She said Friday child care and crime are top-of-mind issues in the northeast Winnipeg riding represented by former premier Gary Doer for the past 23 years. Doer resigned in October to become Canada's ambassador to the United States. Premier Greg Selinger has yet to set a date for the byelection, although the NDP has had its candidate in place since late November. Matt Wiebe, a former Doer constituency assistant, will be the favourite to win the seat, since the NDP has held the constituency since it was created in 1981. The Conservatives have yet to hold a nomination meeting. Heppner has worked as a program counsellor with the Mount Carmel Clinic's fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program, with MacDonald Youth Services, Healthy Child Manitoba and Marymound. She is now a self-employed social worker specializing in FASD training. Heppner is a member of the University of Manitoba board of governors and has a degree in social work from William and Catherine Booth College. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100117/845c431a/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 17 08:15:33 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 17 08:16:18 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FASD Parents meetings Victoria B.C. Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100117081521.03a08be8@ncf.ca> From British Columbia >Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:57:24 -0800 >From: davidgerry@shaw.ca >Subject: Reminder of up coming topcis for > >The FASD Parents support group (P2P) which meets 10:30 am Monday >mornings at the Beacon Community Services office at 1450 Elford >Street is organizing an ongoing series of speakers on topics for >families raising family members with FASD. Here is the current list >so that you can mark it in your new planners. Please email or call >250 595-6626 to let us know if you wish to attend, so we have enough >cookies and coffee on hand. >thanks, >dg >January 18 2010 > >"Planning for the future: You and the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT)" > >Presented by David Marr,Regional Consultant, > >Services to Adults, Public Guardian and Trustee of BC > >David has been with the Public Guardian and Trustee as Regional >Consultant since 2004. Prior to this he held front line and >managerial positions in several private and not-for-profit agencies >in the Victoria area working with people with developmental >disabilities and mental health concerns for approximately 15 years. >In addition to providing community presentations he is one of two >Regional Consultants responsible for Health Care Decisions and >Assessment and Investigation Services for the PGT. > >Feb. 1, 2010 > >TEENS, FASD, AND DRUG USE: MIXING OIL AND >WATER > >presented by Colin Ross > >Drug use during the teen years is a challenge for many teens, their >parents/caregives, and other family members. Drug use is >particularly problematic for teens living with FASD. This >presentation will provide an opportunity for parents/caregivers to >learn more about teen drug use and how they can help protect their >teen living with FASD from harm. This interactive presentation will >invite parents/caregivers to develop an action plan for reducing the >chance that their teen will suffer harms from alcohol/other drug use. > >Colin Ross is a Youth and Family Counsellor working with VIHA's >Discovery Youth and Family Services program. He has been providing >alcohol/drug abuse prevention and counselling services for 22 years >in the Greater Victoria area. Colin has experience and a special >interest in working with teens living with FASD and their parents/caregivers. > > >To be arranged: speaker from the Children and Youth's Representatives' Office > >12 March Repsenative for Children and Youth's office will present >about their role as provincial advocates ... details to follow. > > >PAST: > >January 11 2010 > > >Representation >Agreements, > > >presented by John Minkley > >John Minkley is a lawyer in Victoria who has worked for many years >with family members and individuals about disability issues in >relation to wills, trusts, representation agreements, and guardianship. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100117/3971b409/attachment-0001.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 17 08:30:10 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 17 08:34:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Help Young Adults Manage Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100117083001.03206908@ncf.ca> [an old article - a different one on this program was sent before] "...The new program, called Partners for Success, combines personal mentors and therapeutic home visits to provide one-on-one support..." http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/10/19/help-young-adults-manage-fetal-alcohol-syndrome/9040.html PsychCentral News Psychotherapy News Help Young Adults Manage Fetal Alcohol Syndrome By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 19, 2009 The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has awarded Saint Louis University [Missouri] a grant to develop and test a new program to help older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The impetus of the program will be to improve transition into adulthood. The new program will focus on teaching important life skills, such as how to cope with new situations and minimize disruptive behaviors that could lead to loss of employment or trouble with the law. According to Leigh Tenkku, Ph.D., assistant professor of family and community medicine at Saint Louis University, while the effects of FASD are lifelong, currently there are very few support systems in place to help these individuals and their families as they get older. "The brains of individuals with FASD are not fully developed, which affects their ability to handle emotions, problem solve and pick up on social cues," Tenkku said. "As they get older, these problems affect their ability to maintain a job, their relationships and their parenting abilities." The new program, called Partners for Success, combines personal mentors and therapeutic home visits to provide one-on-one support similar to the popular Parents as Teachers model, only intensified. The goal of the program is to give individuals with FASD the tools and support necessary to successfully navigate the challenges of adulthood. "This is a totally new approach to mentoring older children and adults with FASD, but it's built on well-established research in the field. This program is very promising and we're hopeful that it will revolutionize the way we support these individuals," Tenkku said. Currently in the U.S., there are no social service programs geared to the specific needs of youth and young adults with FASD. Instead, social agencies offer a hodgepodge of programs that address the broader needs of those with developmental disabilities. In a time of budget cuts and tightening financial belts, Tenkku says one of the most important aspects of the program is that it is financially feasible and easy for other agencies to implement. "We want our program to be practical and easily replicated by other agencies that provide FASD services. We're creating the tool, but they have to be able to use it. That's how we'll help the greatest number of people," Tenkku said. "The overall cost of the program is relatively low. The Partner for Success program is an investment in the future of these individuals. Doing nothing would certainly cost us more in the long run." About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Drinking during pregnancy can lead to serious physical abnormalities, neurological and behavioral problems, all characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. FASD is the greatest cause of children born with developmental disabilities each year in America even though it is 100 percent preventable. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe form of FASD. Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is estimated to affect one to two babies born per 1,000, are often born preterm, have low birth weight and long-term growth problems. During the first year of the Partners for Success study, researchers at Saint Louis University will collaborate with several community partners, including the Family Support Network, to design the program. At the same time, they will recruit 100 youth and young adults with FASD to participate in the study. The program will be implemented during the second year. Half of the study participants will be enrolled in the new program, while the other half will continue to receive standard support services. Participants enrolled in the program will receive biweekly home visits from a licensed clinical social worker. They also will be assigned a mentor who will meet with them weekly to socialize, model appropriate behavior in the community, and help the individuals integrate the techniques taught during home visits, in their daily lives. During the final year of the study, researchers will follow up with participants to measure the success of the program. "Of course ultimately we'd like to prevent FASD from occurring. But the sad reality is that 1 percent of children and young adults in our society suffer with the lifelong effects of drinking during pregnancy. It's imperative that we find better ways to support these individuals," Tenkku said. Source: St Louis University -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100117/64be6e83/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Thu Jan 21 15:40:26 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Thu Jan 21 15:46:23 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] TVO Tonight: Booze: The New Health Crusade? Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100121154008.041b2e80@ncf.ca> Thursday, January 21 2010 8:00 PM Booze: The New Health Crusade? The WHO has identified alcohol as the fifth leading cause of premature death worldwide and they're launching a world-wide war on booze. Is alcohol the new cigarette? Is drinking the new smoking? For more details go to http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/index.cfm?page_id=7&bpn=779697&ts=2010-01-21%2020:00:00.0 Booze: The New Health Crusade? Thursday, January 21 2010 8:00 PM Booze: The New Health Crusade? http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/theagenda/index.cfm?page_id=7&bpn=779697&ts=2010-01-21%2020:00:00.0 Booze: The New Health Crusade? Your Agenda: Booze: The New Health Crusade? The WHO has identified alcohol as the fifth leading cause of premature death worldwide and they're launching a world-wide war on booze. Is alcohol the new cigarette? Is drinking the new smoking? Guests Joanne Banfield is manager of the RBC First Office for Injury Prevention at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Kevin Brauch is host of The Thirsty Traveler, a weekly journey into the heart of the world's greatest wine, beer and spirit producing regions. Craig Heron is a professor of history and social science at York University and the author of Booze: A Distilled History. Robert Mann is a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and director of collaborative program in addictions studies at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Trevor van Mierlo is the chief executive officer of Evolution Health. Producers Melissa Martin is a producer for The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Previously, Melissa was a segment producer at Business News Network where she produced breaking business, finance and economic news segments. Melissa also produced and directed a piece for the CBC's Easter Seals telethon and worked at her local Rogers station as a reporter. Melissa went to Wilfrid Laurier University and also attended Seneca College for Broadcast Journalism. Follow Melissa on Twitter. Mike Miner is a producer for The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Previously at TVO, he was a producer for Studio 2. Originally from Sudbury Ontario, Mike studied journalism and literature at Carleton University and spends as much of his vacation time as possible travelling - including a recent trip to China. He also writes for a variety of publications about arts and culture. Read his Blog: The Fifth Column. Follow Mike on Twitter. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100121/9deeda5a/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 22 10:54:55 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 22 11:04:14 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Beer ban rejected in Halifax Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100122105447.038007f0@ncf.ca> http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/01/20/ns-halifax-beer-events.html cbcnews - Consumer Life Beer ban rejected in Halifax Last Updated: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | 7:42 AM ET CBC News Halifax regional council has swiftly corked an attempt to ban alcohol at municipal festivals such as Canada Day and Natal Day. Council rejected a motion to have staff look into the idea on Tuesday night, voting 14-8. There was no debate. Coun. Gloria McCluskey suggested the booze ban, arguing it was inappropriate to have beer tents and related advertising at family events sponsored by the Halifax Regional Municipality. She said her goal is to curb underage drinking, so offering beer near places where children play sends the wrong message. But some councillors said the HRM couldn't afford to lose the revenue from alcohol sponsorships. Comments 45 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100122/245482b3/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Fri Jan 22 13:56:52 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Fri Jan 22 14:04:24 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Ontario Toronto FASD treatment study for 8 - 12 year olds Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100122135642.053757c0@ncf.ca> Jan. 22, 2010 The Toronto Hospital for Sick Children & University of Toronto Dept. of Psychology are looking for families with children affected by FASD aged 8 - 12 for a treatment study. Hi Mrs. Ross, Thanks you very much for speaking with me today and for offering to circulate information about our study. I am attaching our brief letter to parents [Copied below]...... [For the detailed consent form please contact Kelly Nash at 416-813-7654 ext. 4343] Some inclusion/exclusion criteria: We are looking for children between the ages of 8-12 (between Jan- Sept 2010) They need to have a confirmed diagnosis of an FASD. Children should not have braces during Jan- Sept 2010 . Families are reimbursed for travel costs associated with the study. Research Invitation Letter Dear Parent(s) The Department of Psychology would like to invite you and your child to participate in a very exciting new research study at the Hospital for Sick Children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-week intervention aimed at improving behavioural regulation in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). In addition, our study will examine how FASDs affect the development of brain structures important for behavioural regulation and social skills. The information gained from this study will be important in guiding treatment strategies for children diagnosed with FASD and FAS. Your participation in this project will help us to obtain this information. This is the first program of its kind in Ontario and a unique opportunity for your family! Should you be interested in enrolling your child in this study, he or she will come to Sickkids for a 12-week program as well as pre- and post-intervention testing involving tests of attention, behavioural regulation, intelligence as well as a brain scan. During the brain scan, your child will view a movie while measurements are made to determine the size, shape, and chemistry of certain regions. He or she will also be given one or more tasks in the scanner to assess how the brain regulates behaviour. There is no harm associated with the scanner and the process is painless. The intervention will take place once a week for a total of 12 weeks. Each session will last approximately 90 minutes. Each child will also undergo testing and scanning one month before and after the intervention to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The total time of testing and scanning will be about 4 hours each visit. During each visit, breaks will be provided as needed. Upon completion of his or her assessment, we will present you with a brief report of your child?s results and your child will also receive a picture of his or her brain. If we identify any problems you will be notified immediately and arrangements will be made to see a specialist. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, children will be randomly assigned to receive immediate treatment while others will be on a waitlist for 12 weeks, at which time they will receive the same treatment. If you wish to receive more information about this study, please complete the form at the bottom of this page and mail it back in the stamped envelope. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Kelly Nash at 416-813-7654 ext. 4343. You can also reach the study coordinator Anishka Leis at 416-813-8285 or Dr. Rovet at 416-813-8283. Thank you for your time and consideration, Joanne F. Rovet, Ph.D, C.Psych. Dr. Ellen Fantus, Ph.D Professor and Senior Scientist Motherisk Program, Clinical Psychologist The Hospital for Sick Children The Hospital for Sick Children --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ? Yes, I would like more information on this project. Your name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Child?s name: __________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: __________________________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________________________ -- Kelly Nash M.A. PhD Student Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto Neuroscience and Mental Health Program Rovet Lab, Rm 6406 The Hospital for Sick Children 555 University Avenue Toronto ON, Canada, M5G1X8 416-813-7654x4343 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100122/b7b31238/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 24 14:32:03 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 24 14:34:14 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Conference - Motherisk Update May 19, 2010 Toronto Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100124143155.03c682f8@ncf.ca> >Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:31:08 -0500 >From: Susan Santiago >Subject: CONFERENCE - Motherisk Update 2010 > >CONFERENCE NOTICE > >MOTHERISK UPDATE 2010 >Wednesday, MAY 19, 2010 > >SICKKIDS HOSPITAL ? HOLLYWOOD THEATRE >555 UNIVERSITY AVENUE, TORONTO, ONTARIO > >THINGS YOU MUST KNOW IF YOU TREAT PREGNANT >AND BREASTFEEDING WOMEN > >Join us on May 19th 2010 as Motherisk celebrates >25 years of counseling and groundbreaking research! > >Go to >http://www.motherisk.org/women/commonDetail.jsp?content_id=921 >for this year?s Motherisk Update program and registration information. > >Since 1985, Motherisk has counseled over a >half-million women, their families and >physicians. Canada?s expert on the safety of >medications, infections, chemicals, and everyday >exposures during pregnancy and lactation, >Motherisk has become one of the biggest and most >accomplished teratogen research, counseling and >training programs in the world. > >The Motherisk Update 2010 will share the latest, >evidence-based information on a broad range of >topics in maternal-fetal health, and teratogen >information and counseling. Delegates can expect >to take away new knowledge that will help them >provide the best care to their pregnant and breastfeeding patients. > >This year?s learning objectives: > > * identify important milestones of human teratogenicity; > * define fetal risks of subclinical maternal hypothyroidism; > * weigh the risks and benefits of > depression and its treatment in pregnancy; > * take away clinical findings about H1N1 > influenza and influenza vaccination during pregnancy; > * learn options for detecting drug and alcohol consumption, perinatally; > * apply evidence-based principles to advise > women about medication use while breastfeeding; > * understand issues related to perinatal folic acid supplementation. > >Early bird registration before March 31, 2010: $127.00 >Registration after March 31, 2010: $154.00 > >SEATING IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY. > >Motherisk Update Coordinator >Susan Santiago: 416-813-8084 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100124/5d319f86/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 24 14:32:28 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 24 14:34:21 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Beer ban rejected in Halifax Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100124143220.03c67a00@ncf.ca> http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/01/20/ns-halifax-beer-events.html cbcnews - Consumer Life Beer ban rejected in Halifax Last Updated: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | 7:42 AM ET CBC News Halifax regional council has swiftly corked an attempt to ban alcohol at municipal festivals such as Canada Day and Natal Day. Council rejected a motion to have staff look into the idea on Tuesday night, voting 14-8. There was no debate. Coun. Gloria McCluskey suggested the booze ban, arguing it was inappropriate to have beer tents and related advertising at family events sponsored by the Halifax Regional Municipality. She said her goal is to curb underage drinking, so offering beer near places where children play sends the wrong message. But some councillors said the HRM couldn't afford to lose the revenue from alcohol sponsorships. Comments 45 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100124/18e93198/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 24 14:38:07 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 24 14:45:27 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] FAFA of Manitoba Telelink Feb 26 Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100124143754.03c67b48@ncf.ca> From the Fetal Alcohol Family Association of Manitoba Subject: Feb 26, 2010 Telelink Fetal Alcohol Family Association of MB is recruiting parents/caregivers interested in reading our third booklet, "Navigating Life, Making Better Choices", and then speak via Telelink about it and illustrate how it helps you. The Telelink will last approximately one hour. You may also discuss your issues, how you have been able to access assistance, or how you have not been able to find help. The Telelink will take place February 26, 2010. For further details please contact Val Surbey at vsurbey@mts.net Fetal Alcohol Family Association of Manitoba 3rd Floor - 555 Broadway Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3C 0W4 PH: 204-786-1847 TF: 866-890-1402 FX: 204-940-1283 fafam@mts.net www.fafam.ca From rosse at ncf.ca Sun Jan 24 14:54:32 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Sun Jan 24 14:52:17 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] =?iso-8859-1?q?Day_camp_helps_children_with?= =?iso-8859-1?q?_FASD=85=26_their_?= parents: Alberta Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100124145425.03c671c8@ncf.ca> [This is an old article, but it is in a Canadian magazine I found on the newstand in Ottawa. Exceptional Family: Canada's Resource Magazine for Parents of Exceptional Children, First place winner 2009 Health Care Public Relations Association Hygeia Awards. The current issue is Vol 5 no 2 Winter 2009 which has articles about "Adopting Canada's waiting children with special needs" and "Living with autism" Publisher is Warren Greenstone, Miriam Foundation, Mount Royal, QC Here is the only article I found about FASD. Maybe they could do more?]ER http://www.exceptionalfamily.ca/mag_art.php?issue=Summer+2009&article=2 Exceptional Family -Summer 2009 [vol. 4 no. 4] Day camp helps children with FASD and their parents [Alberta] [Photo] Seven-year-old Chase tries out Renfrew's playground equipment AJ was in kindergarten when he was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). His teacher noticed that he lacked social skills and wasn?t performing as well as the other children. Now 12, AJ still can?t read or write, but his father, Alan Tarnowski says a specialized program called Stepping Out on Saturday (SOS) has helped his son tremendously by teaching him to share his feelings. The program, held on three Saturdays every month, is run by Renfrew Educational Services, a Calgary-based non-profit organization which helps children with special needs. The SOS program caters exclusively to children ages 3 through 12 who have FASD, which refers to a range of physical and/or cognitive disabilities that may affect a person whose birth mother drank alcohol while pregnant. Tarnowski, a single dad, says that since AJ began attending the SOS program three years ago it has freed up time for him to catch up on his own chores. ?This free time is also a stress reliever (for me); I can wind down and just rest. It?s my breath of fresh air.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100124/b3c6f8af/attachment.html From rosse at ncf.ca Mon Jan 25 12:52:12 2010 From: rosse at ncf.ca (Elspeth Ross) Date: Mon Jan 25 12:52:10 2010 Subject: [Fasd_canadian_link] Inuit preschoolers often go hungry: study Message-ID: <6.2.5.6.2.20100125125206.042a6b98@ncf.ca> [nothing about alcohol] http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/01/25/inuit-children-hungry-mcgill.html?ref=rss cbcnews Canada Inuit preschoolers often go hungry: study Last Updated: Monday, January 25, 2010 | 12:20 PM ET CBC News Seventy per cent of Inuit preschoolers in Nunavut live in homes where there isn't enough food, a situation with implications for children's development, said a McGill University researcher. Infant death rates higher among Inuit The Inuit in Canada's North also have much higher rates of infant mortality compared with the rest of the country, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at all births between 1990 and 2000, including 13,642 among residents of Inuit-inhabited areas and more than four million births elsewhere in Canada. The rate of infant death before one year of age was 3.61 times higher for Inuit areas compared with the rest of the Canada, the team found. "These results highlight the dire maternal and infant health situations in the Inuit-inhabited areas," concluded Dr. Zhong-Cheng Luo of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montreal and his colleagues. A substantial part of the higher fetal and infant mortality in Inuit areas may be preventable, the researchers said. The researchers called for: * Programs to reduce smoking, raise awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke, and encourage breastfeeding. * "Back to sleep" campaigns to educate mothers to place babies on their backs to avoid SIDS. * Investments in improved socio-economic and living conditions. * More research to test whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants from eating marine mammals and fish and the elevated risk of infant death from birth defects. The average Nunavut family with young children is paying close to $430 a week for groceries, double the price for a family of the same size in the south, says professor Grace Egeland of the McGill Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment. Egeland and her team reported their findings in a study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Their study is based on face-to-face interviews with the mothers or other caregivers of 388 Inuit children aged three to five in 16 communities in 2007-2008. "When a mother would get tears in her eyes when these questions are getting asked, we realized there are a lot of hidden problems that haven't really come to light," said Egeland. Those problems range from adults skipping meals so that youngsters won't go hungry, to children sometimes not eating for a full day. The study also showed that 29 per cent of children were obese and 39 per cent were overweight. Egeland said it's not all that startling because parents buy foods high in carbohydrates, which tend to be cheap and filling. The good news is 44 per cent of children still have access to traditional food ? either hunted by family members or shared among friends and neighbours. Still, Egeland cautioned that despite such access, her team gathered reports of children going hungry and skipping meals. "Food insecurity is all too prevalent in homes with Inuit preschoolers in Canadian Arctic communities," Egeland and her co-authors wrote. "The data suggest that support systems need to be strengthened for Inuit families with young children." Those supports include food banks and subsidies for food with high nutritional value, the authors suggested. 44Comments have been posted -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/fasd_canadian_link/attachments/20100125/dd17b4ce/attachment.html