On September 23 and 24, 2008, the Work Group on Women, Drinking, and Pregnancy of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (ICCFAS), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the American Legacy Foundation (Legacy), a nonprofit health organization dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit, collaborated and hosted a symposium to explore best approaches to disseminating the message about the potential harm caused by risky drinking, tobacco, and other substance use during the childbearing years and, in particular, the importance of abstaining from any and all drinking and smoking during pregnancy.
The joint objective was to initiate a national effort to change the common perception that the use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy is safe. Approximately 103 addiction prevention and treatment professionals, health policymakers, health communications and marketing professionals, addiction researchers, community activists, Federal agency representatives, and others participated in the symposium.
Twenty-two presentations were organized into eight general topic areas:
- Historical Background
- Epidemiology and Impact of Prenatal Substance Use on Birth Outcomes in the U.S.
- Federal Agency Activities to Address Substance Misuse Among Women of Childbearing Age
- Intervening with Women in the Preconception Period and During Pregnancy
- Reaching Out to Special Populations
- Measuring the Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions for Substance Misuse among Women of Childbearing Age
- Marketing the Message: “Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Substance Use and Pregnancy Do Not Mix”
- Future Directions for Preventing Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Substance-exposed Pregnancies: Framing an Action Agenda
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