Please Enact HR 4151/S2238, The FASD Respect Act, during FASD Awareness Month

As FASD Awareness Month in September begins, I’m writing to urge support of the FASD Respect Act (H.R. 4151/S. 2238), reauthorizing programs, supports, and services for people diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Since Congress first addressed this critical health issue in 1998, FASD funding has declined. It is primarily for research, surveillance, and prevention with little to no support, training, and intervention budget. Over the same period, alcohol-exposed pregnancies have risen to 1 in 4 based on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study in 2020. For years, FASD has been approached through a lens focused on prevention. While it’s a significant factor in maternal child health, forgotten beyond the pregnancy is that FASD never disappears with age. So, prevention efforts are too late for the 1 in 20 Americans living with FASD. The mental health toll of FASD is astonishing; over 95% of individuals with FASD have co-existing mental health conditions, with high rates of suicide, addiction, and homelessness. Unfortunately, standard mental health practices do not work effectively with this population or consider the brain-based learning differences in a person with FASD. Money spent on mental health without also addressing FASD is wasted on this population. Without federal investment, few states have implemented or maintained programs serving people with prenatal alcohol exposure despite investment in those impacted by prenatal drug exposure, a condition known to cause far less long-term harm. “Of all the substances of abuse, including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.” Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press. FASD-informed supports and services are desperately needed but are not regularly available to those who need them and those who need them most. The FASD Respect Act would help to change that. As my elected representative, I urge you to take action by actively encouraging its passage through the committee. FASD reauthorization has been re-introduced repeatedly since critical programs expired, and we finally have some momentum this year. The FASD community desperately needs champions and leaders. Will you heed the call and add your name to those calling for enactment?