Media Advisory – National Conference to Feature New Science on Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

– New learning tool, developed in Winnipeg to assist young people with FASD to be launched –

TORONTO, Aug. 20 – Canadian leaders in the field of FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) research and program delivery will meet in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Friday, September 7, 2007 at the 8th Annual Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Research Roundtable.

“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder causes life-long health problems,” said Dr. Koren, director of Motherisk, a program of The Hospital for Sick Children, and founder of FACE, where organizers prepare to greet over 200 researchers, clinicians, social workers, program providers and government representatives. “And while FASD is preventable, the disorder remains the leading cause of developmental and cognitive disabilities among Canadian children, producing often devastating health and social problems.” The Roundtable will feature new Canadian research on:

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The 8th annual FACE Research Roundtable is organized by the Motherisk Program in cooperation with Healthy Child Manitoba, and with financial support of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada and the Brewers Association of Canada.

The Brewers Association of Canada has a long and proud history of involvement in health promotion and advocacy working with organizations that promote responsible consumption of alcohol and the prevention of alcohol related diseases such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

“The Brewers Association of Canada is pleased to partner with Motherisk, one of Canada’s top organizations dedicated to raising awareness and support medical research aimed at dealing with the challenges of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder,” said Ian Faris, President and CEO of the Brewers Association of Canada.

Now in its 7th year of supporting the FACE Research Roundtable, Canada’s brewers remain committed to this important cause. “And yet, despite the encouraging progress that has been made, we know that avoiding alcohol during pregnancy remains the best method of preventing FASD,” added Mr. Faris.

In addition to funding the annual FACE Research Roundtable, the Brewers Association of Canada also funds the Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline run by the Motherisk Program (1 877 FAS-INFO) which provides evidence-based information and guidance about the effects of alcohol and other substances during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

The FACE (Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise) Research Network currently includes more than 150 Canadian researchers, clinicians, social workers and government representatives. Representing a broad range of expertise and interests, FACE members are engaged in biomedical and clinical studies, population and health service research, program delivery and policy development. The day-long FACE Roundtable has become a regular forum since 2000, where researchers share their latest findings on the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy.

For further information: Pierre Leduc, Mobile: (416) 859-8562, pleduc@tsa.ca or at the conference: Orli Namian, (647) 262-6776, onamian@tsa.ca; For more information about the FACE Roundtable, please visit:http://www.motherisk.org/JFAS/econtent_conferences.jsp