Recent research from Scotland demonstrates that a combination of national alcohol-related policies, such as minimum unit pricing (MUP), changes to drink-driving limits, and updated public health guidance, can meaningfully reduce alcohol consumption among pregnant women and improve perinatal outcomes . The study found that one in four women reported drinking alcohol during early pregnancy, but following the introduction of MUP, average consumption decreased, and rates of small-for-gestational-age births and neonatal admissions improved.
Reflection for FASD Prevention Conversation Facilitators
In Alberta, the FASD Prevention Conversation initiative already embraces this philosophy, centring compassion, dialogue, and awareness rather than judgment. However, the Scottish evidence encourages us to consider how broader systemic supports, such as pricing policies, community-level campaigns, and cross-sector collaboration, could amplify the impact of individual prevention conversations. By linking our local prevention work with evidence from international contexts like Scotland, we can continue to advocate for an Alberta where prevention is everyone’s responsibility, and where policy, practice, and public awareness work together to reduce prenatal alcohol exposure and its lifelong impacts.