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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Picraux

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-3-06

HM 35

SHORT TITLE FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME AWARENESS SB

ANALYST Lucero

Duplicates HJM 43 ,Relates to SB463

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department (HSD)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 35 recognizes that fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a chronic yet preventable

problem and education is the best tool for prevention. The fill Gary and the Angels is based on

the life of a Gallup resident, Gary Murphy, who lives with FAS. The film is available to educa-

tional, public and private sector institutions for viewing and can bring about awareness to pre-

vent FAS.

House Memorial 35 requests the Departments of Health, Children, Youth and Families, Human

Services, and Public Education, as well as, other educational facilities and private sector entities

to promote and to direct staff to become directly involved in facilitating the viewing of Gary and

the Angels to encourage the prevention of FAS.

House Memorial 35 requires the Departments of Health, Children, Youth and Families, Human

Services, and Public Education receive a copy of this memorial and to report their progress in

encouraging the prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome to the interim legislative health and human

services committee by November 1, 2006.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

HM 35 contains no appropriation. CYFD may absorb costs incurred to implement the provisions

of this bill.

House Memorial 35 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

More babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome than babies born with down syndrome!

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition characterized by abnormal facial features, growth

retardation, and central nervous system problems. One of every 1,000 children born in New

Mexico has FAS and the incidence of alcohol related birth defects in New Mexico is 1 in 100

births (http://casaa.unm.edu/PreventFAS/NM_Data.htm). FAS is the only 100% percent com-

pletely preventable birth defect. If a mother does not drink alcohol during pregnancy, there is no

possibility of her baby acquiring the disabilities caused by alcohol consumption.

The DOH Office of Disability and Health has funded an FAS prevention project at the Univer-

sity of New Mexico (UNM) Center for Alcohol Substance Abuse and Addictions (CASAA)

since 1996. In 2003, the project, in conjunction with the UNM School of Medicine Department

of Pediatrics, produced a 30-minute FAS awareness and prevention video I Don’t Want My

Daughter to Hate Me. The project has distributed more than 10,000 copies of the video in New

Mexico and the country and has bought airtime on network and cable channels in New Mexico.

Some babies with alcohol-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight,

and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are some-

times referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE)

While HSD supports efforts to bring health education to its members and would encourage the

contracted MCOs to do so as well, the provision on reporting progress could be difficult to

achieve and would consume significant personnel resources to make happen.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

HM 35 is part of DOH’s Strategic Plan in its mission to promote health and sound health policy

[and] prevent disease and disability.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

HSD would be required to report on progress to the LFC by November 30, 2006; this could re-

quire 1 FTE at a cost of $80,000.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Duplicates HJM 43.

This bill relates to Senate Bill 463 which appropriates $50.0 from the general fund to DOH to

promote FAS awareness through the video GARY AND THE ANGELS.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

This bill should incorporate Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) as well.

House Memorial 35 – Page

3

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The incidence (number of new cases each year) of FAS and FAE are significantly under-

reported. Projections are usually based on estimates of their occurrence per 1,000 live births.

Recent studies suggest that the incidence of FAS can conservatively be estimated at 0.33 cases

per 1,000 live births.

Studies suggest that drinking a large amount of alcohol at any one time may be more dangerous

to the fetus than drinking small amounts more frequently. The fetus is most vulnerable to various

types of injuries depending on the stage of development in which alcohol is encountered. A safe

amount of drinking during pregnancy has not been determined, and all major authorities agree

that women should not drink at all during pregnancy. Unfortunately, women sometimes wait un-

til a pregnancy is confirmed before they stop drinking. By then, the embryo/fetus has gone

through several weeks of critical development, a period during which exposure to alcohol can be

very damaging. Therefore, the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse urges women who are preg-

nant or anticipating a pregnancy to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages

DL/nt:yr