Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #101059

Sue Thomas, PhD, Carol Cannon, MA, and Lisa Rickert. Center for the Study of Law and Enforcement Policy, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 6062 Graham Hill Road, Suite B, Felton, CA 95018, 831.335.1000, ccannon@pire.org

This proposed paper will analyze data from the Alcohol Policy Information System on alcohol and pregnancy to explore policy patterns and policy consistency across the nation as of January 1, 2004 on policy six policy topics including Mandatory Warning Signs, Civil Commitment of Pregnant Women who Use or Abuse Alcohol, Limitation on Criminal Prosecution of Pregnant Women, Priority Treatment for Pregnant Women, Reporting Requirements, and Referral to Child Welfare agencies of Pregnant Women who Use or Abuse Alcohol. The following questions will be addressed:

• How many jurisdictions have enacted policy to address issues of alcohol and pregnancy? • What type of policy predominates across jurisdictions? Have they enacted a greater or lesser proportion of public health alcohol and pregnancy policies than punitive ones? • Are jurisdictions sending mixed messages to pregnant women with respect to alcohol and pregnancy policy, or are they formulating a single approach to the topic?

These questions are important from a public health perspective because the incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders has risen over time and because the type of policy response conditions women's use of medical care.

Learning Objectives:

• As a result of this presentation, participants will have information on the laws of all 50 states, and the District of Columbia on 6 alcohol and pregnancy topics.
• Participants will be able to use/present information on laws across the nation on mandatory warning signs, reporting requirements, priority treatement, child abuse/child neglect laws and civil commitment laws relative to alcohol use during pregnancy.
• Participants will be able to group state laws on alcohol and pregnancy relative to public health versus punitive orientations.
• Participants will have information about the laws of alcohol and pregnancy of their own states.
• Participants will be able to assess the implications of alcohol and pregnancy laws that are punitive and those that are public health-oriented.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Alcohol Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation