Finland is marking International FASD Awareness Day on 9 September with a nationwide campaign reminding people that there is no known safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy. The campaign brings together Kehitysvammaliitto (The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities), Alko, the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters, Reitan Convenience Finland and S Group. As a symbolic gesture, Alko stores and participating partners begin alcohol sales nine minutes later than usual, representing the nine months of pregnancy. Alko has used the nine-minute action since 2015, but this year the campaign places particular emphasis on the period before pregnancy has been confirmed.

Kehitysvammaliitto’s 2026 campaign uses the message, “Would you give alcohol to a newborn? Don’t give it to a fetus either.” The organisation is drawing attention to the first weeks of pregnancy, when a person may not yet know they are pregnant. It points to new research suggesting that alcohol-related developmental effects can begin very early, when changes in gene activity, cell division and development may influence the course of fetal development. For this reason, Kehitysvammaliitto recommends avoiding alcohol already when pregnancy is being planned.

The campaign also broadens the discussion beyond the pregnant woman. Kehitysvammaliitto highlights the role of the prospective father, noting that sperm development takes around 12 weeks and that alcohol use may affect fertility and biological characteristics of sperm. Its wider message is that preparing for pregnancy should be seen as a shared responsibility, with both prospective parents contributing to the healthiest possible start for a future child.

At the same time, Alko is using its national reach to increase awareness of FASD, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the risks associated with alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Its campaign states clearly that alcohol can affect fetal development throughout pregnancy and that no safe threshold has been established. On 9 September, all Alko stores open nine minutes later than their normal opening time, while campaign partners share information through their own communications channels. Member organisations of the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters are also providing information at selected locations about FASD and services that support alcohol-free pregnancies.

Other Finnish organisations are reinforcing the message. Päihdelinkki, the information and support service run by A-klinikkasäätiö, highlighted FASD Awareness Day in its social media communication on 8 September. Its message stresses that alcohol is a significant cause of fetal developmental disorders, that there is no safe level of alcohol use during pregnancy, and that alcohol should also be avoided when pregnancy is being planned or possible. This broader participation helps turn FASD Awareness Day from a single campaign into a more visible national public health message.

FASD is caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, but prevention is not simply a matter of giving instructions to pregnant women. Clear information before pregnancy, supportive partners and families, accessible help for people who find it difficult to stop drinking, and consistent messages from health services and society all matter. The 2026 Finnish campaign is particularly notable for moving the conversation earlier, from alcohol use during a known pregnancy to creating conditions for an alcohol-free pregnancy from the planning stage onwards.

Find more from Kehitysvammaliitto and Alko (Finland, September 2026)