International FASD Awareness Day 2025

9 September 2025

Held on 9 September, International FASD Awareness Day is designed to improve education on the harmful effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or FASDs), and ways to get support for becoming alcohol free.

Recent studies show that around four out of 10 people in Australia either smoked daily, drank alcohol at harmful levels or used an illicit drug in a 12-month period.³ Studies also show that parental alcohol or drug use can affect children negatively from conception right through the lifespan of the child.

Though the impacts of parental substance use on children vary, in addition to FASD, it can pose risks related to child abuse and neglect. Parental substance use can also impact parenting and the parent–child relationship.

It’s important for practitioners to engage parents on the potential impacts of substance use on the wellbeing of their children. To increase practitioners’ confidence in engaging parents in these discussions, In focus: AOD and the parent–child relationship introduces some simple shifts in practice position that can help you ‘bring children into the room’ and improve outcomes for the whole family.

Emerging Minds also offers two alcohol and other drug (AOD) courses that will help you to incorporate child-aware, trauma-informed and hope-inspired approaches in adult services when working with parents affected by substance use.

Parents who use substances are often their own harshest critics, leaving them without hope and unable to see any of their own positive qualities. But empowering them with the hope that things can improve builds their self-efficacy and helps them to see opportunities for strengthening the connections they have with their children.