Condoms and pregnancy tests will be available in Yellowknife liquor stores and some bars free of charge starting next week.
The Yellowknife Association for Community Living are distributing these items as part of a campaign running until Valentine’s Day. The goal is to get the word out about the health risks of consuming marijuana, alcohol and other substances while pregnant.
With 11 per cent of Canadian mothers reporting they consumed alcohol during pregnancy and over three per cent saying they binge drank while pregnant, the message YKACL wants to get out is that this can affect their unborn child.
“FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, is alarmingly common, with an estimated four per cent of Canadians having the disorder,” the association states in a news release.
“Marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, opioids, too many unhealthy foods and any other substance that may enter a mom-to-be’s system can affect her baby-to-be.”
The association also notes Health Canada warns women it is safest not to use marijuana while pregnant and breastfeeding, including being exposed to second-hand smoke.
Health Canada Marijuana and Pregnancy Warning by Emelie Peacock on Scribd
