In September 2003, NOFAS-UK (the National Organisation for
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) was established as a Registered
British Charity in affiliation with NOFAS in Washington,
DC.
NOFAS - UK is committed
to raising awareness in the United Kingdom about Foetal
Alcohol Syndrome and is dedicated to eliminating birth
defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy
and improving the quality of life for those individuals
and families and communities affected.
Attendants
of first FASD MAP meeting:
(Back row) Dr Bundle, Dr Autti-Ramo, Prof Viljoen,
Prof Clarren, Dr Fraser, Dr Mukerjee, Prof Riley, Prof Atkin,
Prof Spohr,
(front row) Lady Mitchell, Prof Plant, Susan Fleisher and
Dr Barrow
NOFAS
- UK has developed and facilitated the following programmes
and initiatives:
Established the first FASD Advisory Panel at the Royal
Society of Medicine on 22nd November 2004. World experts
on FASD were brought together with British doctors
to set the FASD agenda Britain, to establish the first
FASD diagnostic clinic and to initiate UK FASD research.
Produced
a 22 minute educational film, ‘A CHILD FOR LIFE’
about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The film introduces
families living with FASD and offers information from
leading experts.
’A
CHILD FOR LIFE’ was distributed with a teaching
plan to over 4,600 secondary schools in the UK in
September 2004. The teacher and student response has
been extremely positive.
RossCranston,
MP (Dudley Nth) sponsored the NOFAS-UK Press Conference
in the House of Commons on the 15th of September 2004.
Ross
Cranston put FAS on the government agenda when he
posed questions on behalf of NOFAS-UK during the televised
Prime Minister’s Questions on the 15th of September.The
Prime Minister responded: “On the specific issue
of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome…we will be dealing
with that more when it comes to the Government’s
white paper.”
NOFAS-UK
is working with Lord Mitchell in the House of Lords
to bring the issue of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
to the attention of the British Government. He presented
our case to Her Majesty’s Government on the
12th May 2004. The speech can be found here.
Lord
Mitchell lead a debate on behalf of NOFAS-UK in the
House of Lords on the 18th of October.The profile
of FASD in the UK was raised by the contributing speeches
of Lord Chan, Lord Listowel, Baroness Neuberger, The
Earl Howe and Baroness Andrews from the Education
and Health Departments. The debate can be found here.
In
September 2004 YOUGOV produced a National Poll for
NOFAS-UK which stated 68 % of the British public agreed
that the Government should require alcohol-warning
labels. Lord Mitchell is spear heading the campaign
for alcohol warning labels in the UK and NOFAS-UK
is liasing with France and Poland where warning labels
will be placed on all containers of alcohol in 2005.
On
May 20th ’A CHILD FOR LIFE’ was screened
for the Royal College of Midwives Annual Conference
and the film is now being incorporated in training
programmes for midwives throughout the UK.
On
15th March NOFAS-UK brought Dr Sterling Clarren and
Dr Sandra Clarren to the UK to present a seminar on
FASD and it’s relationship to ADD and ADHA at
an ADDISS (Attention Deficit Disorder Information
and Support Service) Conference
Contact
Information
NOFAS-UK
157 Beaufort Park
London
NW11 6DA
England
