Office of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alaska's Comprehensive FAS Project

FAS 5 Year Project | Highlights | FAS Challenge | Response to FAS | Printable Version

Alaska's FAS Challenge

Currently, the true number of cases of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other alcohol-impacted births are not known. The reasons for this are many including lack of early diagnosis, limited ability to track affected births, isolation, and inadequate prenatal care by many women. Recently, FAS has become a reportable condition in Alaska through the state's Birth Defects Registry, making it possible to have more accurate and reliable data in the future.

Even without concrete data, we know anecdotally that Alaska experiences a high rate of births where alcohol was present. Alaska is among the leading states in the nation in estimates of alcohol-related risk factors.

  • Alaska has one of the highest per capita alcohol consumption levels in the nation-30% higher than the national average (U.S. DHHS, 1991)
  • Alaska has the highest rate of alcohol-related hospitalizations in the country (Adams and Yuan, et.al., 1993)
  • Alaska is among the top five states in the country for the highest prevalence of binge drinking or drinking of more than 30 drinks per month among women of reproductive age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1994).
  • The impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol affects a wide range of social, educational and health services across our state. The greatest impacts are within our health care systems, educational systems, mental health and developmental disabilities services, child protective services, job training, employment, public safety and our correctional systems.

Within the state of Alaska it is estimated that 65% of children with FAS are either in state custody and living in foster care or have been in state custody and are now in adoptive homes. Only 23% of affected children are living at home with one or both biological parents. FAS and other alcohol affected children have much greater needs than other children in foster care, increasing the need for augmented care rates, adoption subsidies and special services for respite care, infant learning programs, health care, educational services and others.

Source: State of Alaska, DHSS, 1997.

Results from the Alaska Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Project.

It is estimated that the lifetime cost for one individual diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome is $1.4 million dollars!