Capital Equipment News October 2015

FASD – A PROBLEM that employers can help to address in the workplace

By Rhys Evans, Director of ALCO-Safe

G lobal health organisations warn of the dangers of alcohol abuse during pregnancy, as drinking can cause a wide range of health problems that may continue well into adulthood. Despite doctor recommendations to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy, however, in South Africa drinking during pregnancy remains a prob- lem. Employers can help to curb FASD by implementing comprehensive and holistic alcohol abuse programmes within their or- ganisations, with a combination of effective education and strict policies, backed up by periodic testing for alcohol consumption. In fact, statistics estimate that nearly one million adults and children suffer the on-go- ing effects of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The most well known of

these is Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a term that covers a range of issues, all of which are characterised by numerous behavioural and developmental problems. FASD is a lifelong illness, but is one that is entirely preventable by limiting or eliminat- ing alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Many women in South Africa are unaware of the ill effects that their drinking has on their baby as a result of lack of education. FASD is most frequently the result of heavy drinking or binge drinking every day throughout pregnancy, which is sadly a real- ity for many of those addicted to alcohol. The condition often produces infants with mental deficiencies as well as physical deformi- ties, in particular of the head, face, limbs, heart and central nervous system. Even if a

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