FASD awareness campaign

author: kristian ferguson |  news editor

looking to ensure students are aware / jeremy davis

looking to ensure students are aware

Two third year Kinesiology students, Barzany Ridha and Kyle Arendt are building an FASD awareness program.

The campaign is aiming to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] and how it can be prevented.

“We are in Kin 342 where the main premise is working with people who have developmental disabilities. We were tasked with creating an awareness campaign for the Regina Community Clinic FASD initiative,” said Arendt.

“We have been setting up posters and we hosted an event at the OWL where we donated a portion of every non-alcoholic beverage sold to the Community Clinic.”

Ridha looked to dispel some commonly held stereotypes about FASD and those who are at risk.

“The main focus here is to eliminate stigma as much as we can. When we hear the word FASD in those who know what it means, and many don’t, people tend to think of those in danger as Indigenous or impoverished,” said Ridha.

“That isn’t the case, the most at-risk population are women at the university.”

Arendt provided some clarification as to why women at the university were considered the most at risk population.

“University students are so at risk for a couple of reasons. Firstly, many university students are sexually active but are not looking for children at this point, and secondly, university students tend to drink a little more regularly than other populations as well.”

“All it takes is a single drink,” said Ridha.

“If you don’t know that you are pregnant, and many women don’t in the early months, how can you know that what you are putting in your body is affecting a child?”

Ultimately, the project is looking at harm reduction and the dissemination of information so that university students can be more aware.

“We have a Facebook page that is sharing research and awareness for students to look into,” said Ridha.

“When it comes down to it, there is an emphasis on understanding and education is what is most crucial.”