The German state of Saxony has launched a new public awareness campaign, “100% Liebe – 0% Alkohol” (“100% Love, 0% Alcohol”), to prevent alcohol-related harm during pregnancy. The campaign, launched on 20 July by the Saxon State Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Social Cohesion, will run until 9 September, International FASD Awareness Day. Its central message is clear: alcohol exposure during pregnancy can cause lifelong harm, while FASD is preventable.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, are a group of conditions caused by alcohol exposure before birth and can seriously affect a child’s development. According to the campaign, around 10,000 children are born with FASD in Germany each year, while the true number may be higher because many cases remain undiagnosed or are identified only later. The campaign also challenges familiar social messages such as “it’s only a toast” or “one glass won’t hurt”, stressing that even small amounts of alcohol can carry risks during pregnancy.

An important feature of the campaign is that it does not focus only on pregnant women. Fathers, friends, relatives, colleagues and the wider public are also addressed, reflecting the idea that alcohol use during pregnancy is influenced by the social environment. By involving the people around expectant mothers, the campaign aims to make abstaining from alcohol easier and to build broader social support for alcohol-free pregnancies.

The message will be promoted through weekly social media content, educational videos and materials distributed in public spaces, including CityCards, bakery bags, coasters and stickers. The campaign seeks not only to raise awareness of FASD, but to establish “100% Love, 0% Alcohol” as a wider social norm. As Saxony’s Health Minister Petra Köpping emphasised, alcohol during pregnancy can cause severe and irreversible consequences, while FASD itself is entirely preventable.

Find more from sachsen.de (Germany, August 2026)