The South Australian Government has teamed up with the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) to extend the 'Every Moment Matters' campaign across South Australia until the end of July.

The campaign, part of a $440,000 public awareness initiative, will feature ads on TV, radio, social media, and digital platforms. It aims to increase awareness about the risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

The initiative is part of the Government’s draft South Australian Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy 2024-30, which aims to reduce the prevalence of drug and alcohol use in the community. The 'Every Moment Matters' campaign highlights that any alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the developing baby, potentially causing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The campaign encourages women to stop drinking alcohol from the moment they start trying to get pregnant, or as soon as they find out they are pregnant.

According to the national drug household survey 2022-23, 64% of women consumed alcohol before they knew they were pregnant, with that figure dropping to 14% once they found out. Drinking alcohol while breastfeeding can also be harmful to a baby, with exposure linked to problems with infant growth, motor development, and cognitive ability.

Campaign evaluations when the program ran nationally showed an increase in women intending not to drink when trying to conceive, from 34.2% to 54%, and the number of women who didn’t drink when trying to conceive rose from 30.7% to 58.3% after they had seen the campaign.

The draft alcohol and drug strategy has been developed by Preventive Health SA and SA Police, in consultation with government and non-government partners. The strategy aligns with key commitments the Government took to the 2022 State Election, including new drug and alcohol detox beds at Mt Gambier, residential rehab beds in Mt Gambier, Port Augusta and metro Adelaide, and additional support for families impacted by drug use. Public consultation on the draft Strategy is open until 23 July 2024.

Chris Picton, a representative of the campaign, stated, "Every moment matters when it comes to alcohol – whether you are planning a pregnancy, currently pregnant or breastfeeding. The moment you start trying to get pregnant is the moment to stop drinking alcohol to help avoid damage to the developing baby. Support is available if you are concerned, or need help to have an alcohol-free pregnancy. The draft alcohol and drug strategy will help inform how we as a state prevent the uptake of harmful alcohol and other drug use and provide appropriate support to people struggling with alcohol and drug dependency."

Interim Chief Executive, Preventive Health SA, Marina Bowshall, added, "Investing and amplifying the Every Moment Matters campaign in South Australia will help to continue to address the mixed messages people often receive about alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the baby and can damage their developing brain, body, and organs. We are focused on delivering comprehensive and focused preventive health work aimed at reducing the risk factors associated with alcohol consumption and increasing healthy behaviours through evidence-based policy, programs, and campaigns such as this."

FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi said there was a lot of misinformation about alcohol and pregnancy, and it makes it hard for people to find the latest accurate information.

"Since 2021, the Every Moment Matters campaign has provided Australians with clear information about the risks of drinking alcohol at every stage of pregnancy, to support all families to be healthy and well. We are excited to partner with the South Australian Government to extend this campaign and continue to increase awareness among the community that the moment you start trying for a baby is the moment to stop drinking alcohol," she said.