Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday was a watershed for the nation, with the minister, Fiona Nash, announcing the funding of the first National Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Action Plan. There has been $9.2 million committed to this strategy. Of course, it is not enough; it is never enough. But this will be the first time that there is national recognition that we have a major epidemic in Australia of babies born with brain damage because their mothers drank during their pregnancies.

The elements of this national strategy followed from the 2012 recommendations of FASD: the hidden harm, which was a parliamentary inquiry into the prevention, diagnosis and management of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. And I have to say that just tomorrow we are going to have the meeting of a very significant group, the Legislative and Governance Forum on Food Regulation, who will consider labelling of alcohol to identify the risk for a woman drinking while pregnant. That was one of our key recommendations from FASD: the hidden harm.

Of course, labelling of alcohol is just one of the ways in which we must address the fact that in Australia a significant number of women are still in denial or have never heard about the potential damage they do to their foetus if they drink while they are pregnant. Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or foetal alcohol syndrome—which is a more serious condition if the mother has been drinking—is the biggest cause of nongenetic brain damage in the newborn in Australia today, and it is increasing in incidence. In our one prevalence study that has been undertaken very recently by an expert multidisciplinary team it was found that between 30 and 50 per cent of children in a small community had FASD as a consequence of their mothers drinking. That is the highest rate of incidence found anywhere in the world, and there is no reason for us, sadly, to think that that community—which in this instance happened to be an Indigenous community—is an unusual circumstance in Australia.

Let me stress that FAS and FASD are not confined to Indigenous communities in Australia. In fact, the incidence of children being born with this brain damage goes right across our society and right across populations of different socioeconomic status. We have women who are older, professional women and who have been enjoying their red wine each night. They finally become pregnant and continue to say, 'Of course, I will have that red wine with my meal.' They do not understand that the consequences could be that their child is born brain damaged and with other serious and significant physical disabilities.

We continue to be in denial about the risks associated with drinking while pregnant because many GPs, gynaecologists, obstetricians and nurses—those who should give women advice in their early pregnancy and during their pregnancy—fail to talk about the dangers of consuming alcohol. Often tobacco is talked about, or diet and nutrition, but not the consumption of alcohol. So I am very pleased that this national strategy identifies that problem and will specifically address funds towards educating our medical professionals.

A child with FASD—especially the boys—is most likely to end up in prison as a consequence of the cognitive impairment that they have and their incapacity to regulate their behaviour. We also have to educate the magistracy, the police forces, the social workers and the school teachers so that they understand what this condition is and how best to support a child who comes into their care, or who comes before them as an offender.

I just want to talk very briefly about Troy, a 27-year-old man who was diagnosed with FASD in 2002 by a child development specialist. Troy just happens to be Indigenous, but this is not, as I said, an Indigenous story alone. Troy's mother had at least five other children after Troy was born, while continuing to use alcohol. A survivor herself of sexual child abuse and extreme poverty, she has only known violent relationships plus the added stress of losing her children to child protection services. There have been no male role models due to chronic alcoholism and high incarceration rates. Troy's early childhood experiences include the suicide of his father, several uncles and an aunt and he has been the victim of sexual abuse in homes where he sought shelter and while in custody. Troy celebrated one year out of prison on 30 April 2014. This is the longest time he has remained out of jail since he was 11 years old. Troy's life experience is typical of that of sufferers of FASD. Some 50 per cent of mothers with FASD children themselves have foetal alcohol spectrum disorder or foetal alcohol syndrome. These are tragedies the country cannot continue to ignore. At last we have a national strategy to tackle the problem.