South Australians will be encouraged to have alcohol-free pregnancies and practice safe breastfeeding as part of a $440,000 public awareness campaign, as public consultation starts on a new Government strategy designed to prevent and reduce harm caused by alcohol and other drugs in South Australia.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has partnered with the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) to extend the Every Moment Matters campaign across South Australia until the end of July, with ads appearing across TV, radio, social media and digital platforms.
Increasing awareness about the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy or while breastfeeding is part of the Government’s draft South Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy 2024-30, which provides an important blueprint on how to reduce the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in the community.
The Every Moment Matters campaign is designed to show that any alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the developing baby, which can damage their brain, body and organs, and lead to a lifelong disability known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Stopping alcohol from the moment women start trying to get pregnant, or as soon as they find out they are pregnant, is best for the health of both mother and baby.
According to the national drug household survey 2022-23, 64 per cent of women consumed alcohol before they knew they were pregnant, with that figure dropping to 14 per cent once they found out they were pregnant.
Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can also be harmful to a baby.
Exposure to alcohol through breastmilk has been linked to problems with infant growth, motor development and cognitive ability.
Campaign evaluations when the program ran nationally showed an increase in women intending not to drink when trying to conceive, from 34.2 per cent to 54 per cent, and the number of women who didn’t drink when trying to conceive from rose from 30.7 per cent to 58.3 per cent, after they had seen the campaign.
For more information or to get support, visit the Every Moment Matters website – www.everymomentmatters.org.au
The draft alcohol and drug strategy has been developed by Preventive Health SA and SA Police, in consultation with government and non-government partners to contribute to prevent and reducing harms.
The strategy is aligned to key commitments the Government took to the 2022 State Election, which included new drug and alcohol detox beds at Mt Gambier, residential rehab beds in Mt Gambier, Port Augusta and metro Adelaide, additional support for families impacted by drug use and partnering with the alcohol and other drug sector on workforce strategy planning.
Consultation on the draft Strategy is open until 23 July 2024 at the YourSAy website – www.yoursay.sa.gov.au/saood-strategy
As put by Chris Picton
Every moment matters when it comes to alcohol – whether you are planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant or breastfeeding.
The moment you start trying to get pregnant is the moment to stop drinking alcohol to help avoid damage to the developing baby.
Support is available if you are concerned, or need help to have an alcohol-free pregnancy.
The draft alcohol and drug strategy will help inform how we as a state prevent the uptake of harmful alcohol and other drug use and provide appropriate support to people struggling with alcohol and drug dependency.
As put by Interim Chief Executive, Preventive Health SA, Marina Bowshall
Investing and amplifying the Every Moment Matters campaign in South Australia will help to continue to address the mixed messages people often receive about alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the baby and can damage their developing brain, body, and organs.
We are focused on delivering comprehensive and focused preventive health work aimed at reducing the risk factors associated with alcohol consumption and increasing healthy behaviours through evidence-based policy, programs, and campaigns such as this.
As put by FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi
There is a lot of misinformation about alcohol and pregnancy, and it makes it hard for people to find the latest accurate information.
Since 2021, the Every Moment Matters campaign has provided Australians with clear information about the risks of drinking alcohol at every stage of pregnancy, to support all families to be healthy and well.
We are excited to partner with the South Australian Government to extend this campaign and continue to increase awareness among the community that the moment you start trying for a baby is the moment to stop drinking alcohol.
