FAS conference highlights care and concerns

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The room was silent as 175 people, some wiping tears from their eyes, sat quietly and watched the video called Understanding Women's Substance Misuse prepared by Creative Solutions: Women Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

A 1999 report by the Correctional Services of Canada says Aboriginal peoples have 10 times the national average of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome effects (FAS and FAS/E).

Attending the conference titled Best Practices in the Prevention, Identification and Intervention of FAS/FAE, which was held May 1 and 2 in Vancouver, was co-researcher and speaker from Creative Solutions, Julie Sam, a member of the Nak'azdli Nation in Prince George.

Sam and co-worker Chris Leischner, said they would like to see more attention, prevention, identification, intervention and funding put towards FAS, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and FAS/E.

"Our young people need to be taught, and informed on just what happens to an unborn baby when the mother drinks," said Sam. "The alcohol eats away at the brain of an unborn baby, causing dramatic effects, and sometimes disfiguring facial features."

"I think that if people don't start addressing this right, there's going to be another generation of children born with FAS-FASD. We need more prevention programs and information on FAS, FAS/E, FASD and its effects, given to our Native peoples on and off reserves, across Canada," Leischner added.

According to the FAS/E support network of British Columbia, FAS is a growing problem that is affecting the young and old. "Our mission is working towards eliminating FAS completely through intervention and change," said project director Sandy Berg.

Berg and her husband run a specialized residential resource home for the Ministry of Children and Families Development. They have done this for the past 30 years. Four of their children have been diagnosed with FAS.

"We take the youth that we know are affected by FAS/E off the street, and we bring them to a safe home where we teach them how to shop, pay their bills, keep their places clean."

The FAS/E support network's study says that babies born with FAS/E are more irritable, have sleeping and feeding disorders, and they have trouble bonding with the mother.

Berg went on to say that when FAS/E children become toddlers, they don't respond to oral command, they are fearless, and unable to comprehend danger. They can get themselves into life-threatening situations, have speech disorders, and yet be very sociable, friendly, and affectionate (this can become a big problem as they get older), and move from one thing to another randomly.

"Concepts like time, money, ownership, rules, and things like beginning, middle and end have no meaning. Generalization, lack of an internal time clock, and not being able to differentiate situations, is a normal part of life for FAS-affected people," said Berg.

As teenagers they become easily influenced. They may seem to talk like an adult, yet really don't understand what they are saying. Depression is another problem that may become evident.

As adults, things are just as confusing. Finding it hard to communicate with other people, as in keeping up with a conversation, usually keeps them isolated. Alcohol and drug abuse are more than evident in their lives. "Keeping a job is a big problem because of time. Not knowing when to get up for work, or that they have to be at work at a certain time, usually gets them fired from their job," added Berg.

Alcohol is the leading cause of FAS/E. Drinking during pregnancy will harm the developing fetus, no matter how much alcohol is consumed, said Jenelle McMillan Attig of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Train the Trainers program.

"When the developing fetus is subjected to alcohol, the fetus, and the brain of the fetus, stops growing. It doesn't matter how fast the mother's metabolism rate is after drinking. The unborn child's metabolism is much slower; therefore, the alcohol stays in the unbor baby's system longer," Attig added.

Valencia Bird is the FAS co-facilatator for the YWCA Crabtree Corner Women's Center in downtown Vancouver, which has one of the leading programs, and information centers on FAS/E and the effects on children, as well as family and women's counselling services.

"I am proud to be part of a team that works with women of all ages, from the downtown east side, as well as professional working women. There is a big need for more awareness amongst Native people, and I think there should be more focus, prevention, and intervention programs for FAS/E issues on and off reserves everywhere," said Bird.

The conference was hosted by the firm W. Zarchikoff & Associates Ltd. (formally Muskox Program Development Ltd.), incorporated in 1985. The firm has been affiliated with First Nations organizations for the past 25 years, coast to coast.

"We try to keep on top of the issues like FAS and FAS/E, school bullying, Native youth entrepreneurship, writing proposals, restorative justice programs, as well as keeping our eyes on the latest budgets the government lays out," said archikoff.

"Our next regional conference in best practices in the prevention, identification and intervention of fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol effects for Aboriginal peoples in Canada, will be in Toronto Aug. 14-15."