This week the campaign "Per festes, vetes vermelles pels TEAF" (During the festivities, red stripes for the FASD, in Catalan) is launched, an adaptation of the initiative that the Spanish Pediatric Association begins in September to raise awareness of the International Day of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD, TEAF in Catalan and Spanish) with the slogan Zapatos rojos por el TEAF. September 9 is the date chosen because it symbolically represents the nine months of pregnancy during which it is crucial to avoid alcohol consumption.
The Pediatric Environmental Health Unit (PEHSU) of the Foundation, with the collaboration of other entities, institutions and associations at the regional level, has adapted this campaign during the Tura Festival with the aim of reducing alcohol consumption among all those couples who are thinking about an upcoming pregnancy. In addition to the PEHSU, the Foundation's Obstetrics Service, the ASSIR Garrotxa, the Environmental Health Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, the Public Health Agency of Catalonia, the Consorci d'Acció Social de la Garrotxa, the City Council of Olot, the Regional Council of la Garrotxa, the Catalan Society of Pediatrics and the sponsorship of Casa Baldiret are also participating in the initiative.
Ferran Campillo, environmental pediatrician of the Foundation, explained this morning at a press conference that they calculate that "around 1.7% of pregnancies in the region of la Garrotxa meet high-risk criteria for some of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FEAD), a chronic problem that especially affects the neurodevelopment of childhood and adolescence with repercussions also in adulthood and which is 100% avoidable". During the Tura Festival, alcohol consumption not only impacts more adolescents and young people (it goes from 60.2% who consume some amount of alcohol during the year to 85.2%), but the amount of alcohol consumed multiplies eightfold and increases from a consumption of 2 basic units of drink on average per week (equivalent to two beers, two glasses of wine or a combo) to 17.5 units.
For his part, Martí Trepat, director of the Girona Nord Public Health Service, explained that, generally, “men have a higher percentage of risky alcohol consumption (7.7%) than women (3.1%)” and that “young people are the ones who have a higher percentage of risky alcohol consumption (7.1% from 15 to 44 years old)”. The data is from the Health Survey of Catalonia (ESCA) 2023.
To make the campaign visible, everyone is encouraged to share the photos on social networks with the tags #MesTEAF2024 and #VetesVermellesTEAF. In this link you will find all the activities that are being carried out throughout the territory to raise awareness about this disorder.
Comments