[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11] [Senate] [Page 15323] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SENATE RESOLUTION 612--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 9, 2010, AS ``NATIONAL FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS AWARENESS DAY'' Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Specter, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Hatch, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 612 Whereas the term ``fetal alcohol spectrum disorders'' includes a broader range of conditions than the term ``fetal alcohol syndrome'' and therefore has replaced the term ``fetal alcohol syndrome'' as the umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy; Whereas fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the leading cause of cognitive disability in western civilization, including the United States, and are 100 percent preventable; Whereas fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a major cause of numerous social disorders, including learning disabilities, school failure, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, unemployment, mental illness, and crime; Whereas the incidence rate of fetal alcohol syndrome is estimated at 1 out of 500 live births and the incidence rate of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is estimated at 1 out of every 100 live births; Whereas although the economic costs of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are difficult to estimate, the cost of fetal alcohol syndrome alone in the United States was $6,000,000,000 in 2007, and it is estimated that each individual with fetal alcohol syndrome will cost taxpayers of the United States between $860,000 and $4,000,000 during the lifetime of each such individual; Whereas in February 1999, a small group of parents of children who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders came together with the hope that in 1 magic moment the world could be made aware of the devastating consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy; Whereas the first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day was observed on September 9, 1999; Whereas Bonnie Buxton of Toronto, Canada, the co-founder of the first International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day, asked ``What if ... a world full of FAS/E [Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effect] parents all got together on the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month of the year and asked the world to remember that during the 9 months of pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol ... would the rest of the world listen?''; and Whereas on the ninth day of the ninth month of each year since 1999, communities around the world have observed International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates September 9, 2010, as ``National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day''; and (2) calls upon the people of the United States-- (A) to observe National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies-- (i) to promote awareness of the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol; (ii) to increase compassion for individuals affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol; (iii) to minimize further effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol; and (iv) to ensure healthier communities across the United States; and (B) to observe a moment of reflection on the ninth hour of September 9, 2010, to remember that during the 9 months of pregnancy a woman should not consume alcohol. ____________________