[fasrsk01.txt, dated 4/99]

Knowledge of health risks of heavy drinking[1] and fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS), women and men ages 18 to 44 years, 1985 and 1990

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                                                       Former
                          All         Abstainer        Drinker
                      -----------    -----------     -----------
Health Risk           1985   1990    1985   1990     1985   1990
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Women

Agree that heavy
drinking increases
the risk of:
 miscarriage          87     89*      87     88       87     90
 mental retardation   87     90*      86     89*      89     91
 low birth weight     88     91*      88     90*      90     91
 birth defects        88     92*      87     91*      90     90

Yes, heard of FAS     62     73*      52+    65*      67     78* 

FAS Description:
Child born[2]
 drunk                 3      4        4      5        3      3
 addicted to alcohol  72     58*      72     60*      73     54*
 with certain birth
  defects[3]          25     39*      24     36*      24     43*

Men

Agree that heavy
drinking increases
the risk of:
 miscarriage          82     82       81     77        87    82
 mental retardation   79     81       79     78        87+   81
 low birth weight     79     82*      78     79        82    81
 birth defects        80     83*      80     80        86+   82

Yes, heard of FAS     49     55*      38     44        51    56

FAS Description:
Child born[2]
 drunk                 3      4        4      5         3     5
 addicted to alcohol  73     60*      67     59        78    59*
 with certain birth
  defects[3]          24     36*      29     37        18    37*

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Knowledge of health risks of heavy drinking and Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS), women and men ages 18 to 44 years, 1985 and 1990
(Continued)
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                        Current         Risk
                        Drinker        Drinker [1]
                      -----------    ----------- 
Health Risk           1985   1990    1985   1990
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Women

Agree that heavy
drinking increases
the risk of:
 miscarriage          89     92*      87     91
 mental retardation   88     92*      87     91
 low birth weight     90     92*      88     93*
 birth defects        89     94*      88     92

Yes, heard of FAS     67     77*      66     76*

FAS Description:
Child born[2]
 drunk                 3      4        3      3
 addicted to alcohol  71     57*      69     61
 with certain birth
  defects[3]          26     40*      28     36

Men

Agree that heavy
drinking increases
the risk of:
 miscarriage          84     84       80     81
 mental retardation   81     83*      79     80
 low birth weight     80     84*      75     79
 birth defects        81     85*      79     82

Yes, heard of FAS     50     57*      47     51

FAS Description:
Child born[2]
 drunk                 3      4        2      4 
 addicted to alcohol  73     60*      75     64* 
 with certain birth
  defects[3]          24     36*      23     32 

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Data from the 1985 and 1990 Health Promotion and Disease
Prevention Questionnaires of the National Health Interview
Survey, National Center for Health Statistics.  Weighted
percentages.

[1] Average of more than one drink a day (women); more than
    two drinks a day (men).
[2] Excludes respondents who have never heard of FAS.
[3] Correct response.

* Significantly different (p < 0.05) from 1985.
  Significantly different (p < 0.05) within year from all
  combined.

Source: Dufour, M.C.; Williams, G.D.; Campbell, K.E.; and
        Aitken, S.A.  Epidemiologic Bulletin No. 33:  Knowledge
        of FAS and the risks of heavy drinking during pregnancy,
        1985 and 1990.  Alcohol Health & Research World 18(1):
        86-92, 1994.