“In April-May 2020 NOFAS-UK (now the National Organisation for FASD) engaged OnePoll to conduct two surveys to test awareness of the risks of alcohol in pregnancy and to see if the general population knows the national scientific guidance.

OnePoll polled 2000 18-25 year olds across the UK. The results showed that:

26% could not identify the current Chief Medical Officers’ guidance that the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all if pregnant or if you could become pregnant.
80% said if they or a loved one (e.g. a sister or friend) were pregnant, that having the occasional drink of alcohol would not be ok. However, their understanding of WHY this is important is limited.
Only 17% understood that alcohol can cause the most long-term harm to the baby when compared with other substances such as heroin, crack cocaine and smoking.
Only 22% knew that the acronym FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
49% are getting information about these issues from social media, while only 40% are getting if from a teacher and only 36% from a doctor, midwife or nurse.
National FASD has launched a 3-year campaign funded by the Sylvia Adams Trust specifically targeted at 15-25 year olds. We believe that armed with the facts, this generation can change things. We believe it’s critical to reach young women and men before they are either pregnant or planning a family.

Our new prevention website for young adults, http://www.PreventFASD.info, has been launched. It includes the award-winning short film, RISK, and facts about the impact of alcohol in pregnancy. It also features #WhyRiskIt, a national competition designed to tap into and amplify the creativity and energy of Gen Z.”

Find more from NOFAS-UK (UK, June 2020)