Much of our lifestyle revolves around perception of risk.
We take a risk driving a car; we even take a risk walking on the footpath. But it’s how we perceive and manage risks that can make all the difference.
Pregnancy can be a time of great joy and anticipation, for all family members. These nine months or so are crucial, not just for the mum-to-be and other family members, but also for the new life about to arrive.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is pleased to back a new national awareness campaign: Every Moment Matters - a national awareness campaign about alcohol, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.
A huge research effort is behind this campaign built by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, or FARE.
As any pharmacist will attest, the trust Australians place in us is so important. On any day, community pharmacists can deal with a myriad of very personal issues, and part of our outreach comes from understanding what we hear and knowing where and how to tap the right advice.
This FARE campaign will potentially have lifelong benefits for mums, but especially for newborns.
Every Moment Matters offers clear, concise information about the risks of alcohol intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
This is not a campaign based on negatives; it’s not like one of those signposts with a bunch of rings with red lines through them; but it does outline the benefits of alcohol-free pregnancies.
The campaign will boost awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a disability caused when a developing baby is exposed to alcohol before birth – explaining what FASD is, how widespread it has become and what are the impacts. It shifts perceptions of alcohol from the morning after to the lifetime after.
Health Professional Stakeholder Kit
The kit includes:
- Key messages and background advice
- Social media assets; and
- Draft content which can help support the campaign.
Soon, key messaging will appear on TV, radio, digital and out-of-home channels, running through to mid-2024.
The campaign will help address mixed messages people often receive about alcohol and pregnancy.
Every Moment Matters is endorsed and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, a campaign developed with the National Organisation on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (NOFASD), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Australian College of Midwives, NACCHO along with health professionals and experts in FASD and public health social marketing.
