FASD tops Kugluktuk wellness fair

Kugluktuk residents are invited to a wellness fair at the community complex next Thursday, in recognition of FASD Day.

September 9, or the ninth day of the ninth month, was chosen as a symbolic date in 1999, to recognize fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a lifelong birth defect that appears in babies born to women who drink excessively while pregnant.

People with FASD may suffer from memory problems, impulsiveness and difficulties in processing information, as well as physical problems such as facial defects.

Kugluktuk is currently host to a pilot FASD project, sponsored by Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, where community teams are coming up with ways to spread the message about FASD.

On Thursday, the team will set up a special FASD booth at the fair, and hand out T-shirts, says project coordinator Sandy Steinwender.

Other wellness-themed booths cover health issues such as aboriginal diabetes, foot care, tobacco and alcohol and family literacy. There will also be a kid’s carnival and skills and sports contests.

The fair is open from 4 to 7 p.m., and re-opens at 8 p.m. for evening entertainment.

A report done by the RCMP in 2001 suggests 30 per cent of Nunavut’s expectant mothers may drink significant amounts of alcohol while pregnant, and 85 per cent of their children will show symptoms of FASD.