Whether or not the incidence of FASD is increasing is a difficult question to answer. The short answer is yes, in that our numbers are getting higher. Is that because the incidence is increasing or because we're measuring it better and we're seeing diagnostic clinics where we're capturing it? I don't think we've gotten to a point of prevalence or surveillance yet that allows us to say we've diagnosed it at a level across the country and we can say that with any kind of confidence. Similarly there is no evidence that it's getting worse. There are patterns of drinking that we're concerned about, but there is nothing yet to say that we're seeing real change. Until our surveillance...and I know there are work and projects initiated right now and we're hoping to capture that better so we can begin to measure that more effectively.
In terms of prevention and your question about Canadians' awareness of FASD, there certainly are some prevention campaigns around. You will see them in some provinces and different bars. There are commercials out there that talk about not drinking when you're pregnant. My one thought is that when we look at risk factors that contribute to alcohol consumption and pregnancy, we're often looking at issues of women who are marginalized, women who are struggling with mental health issues like depression, and women who are isolated. There are significant features that women are dealing with. For those reasons, in addition to increasing public awareness around health practices and pregnancy—and I know that we don't say what not to do, but say let's be healthy together—we're talking about being positive with women. We also need to look at professionals who work with women who are pregnant, planning to be pregnant, or even could become pregnant, and how to have supportive conversations with women about how to take care of themselves and how to feel comfortable having that conversation about having sex. What are you doing to protect yourself? What are you doing to monitor your alcohol? What are you doing to watch for pregnancy? Those are the kinds of things that the professionals in our communities need to be more comfortable with so they can have those conversations with the women in their communities, all women.