surgeon generals call to action

Last Modified: 08/18/07

Summary: everything I can find on it

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note - Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:50:16 GMT

Dr. Donald Burgess, President of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, echoed this sentiment and analogized this new research to research done in the 1970s related to the effect of alcohol on developing fetuses. "Physicians have known since the early 70's that alcohol has a significant, irreversible and sometimes devastating effect on the brain of the developing fetus. Many efforts and programs since that time have provided education to pregnant women around the disastrous effects of alcohol use during pregnancy. Pediatricians now know that pre-adolescent and adolescent brains continue to develop into young adulthood and the effect of alcohol use during this crucial neurological stage of life is no less significant than the effect on a developing fetus. That is why it is imperative that we, as pediatricians, must educate our patients and parents about the dangers of early alcohol use during well child exams as part of our regular anticipatory guidance." !

From:

http://www.masap.org/site/news_detail.asp?news=21

Link: maine association review

Summary: good quotes Maine's Public Health Director, Dr. Dora Anne Mills, praised Dr. Moritsugu for his leadership in addressing this critically important child health issue. She said, "Youth drinking is a major pediatric health crisis in this nation and in this state that is not getting better. New research has demonstrated the long-term and sometimes irreversible effects of alcohol on developing brains. This new research demands an urgent response - we must get youth and parents to understand the significant and serious health risks associated with youth drinking."

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