Marsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided.] Marsi.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Member is right. A true diagnosis of FASD does require the mother to acknowledge that she has been drinking. Sometime, that is not forthcoming, but we will work with pregnant mothers to educate them on the harms and the risks of drinking while intoxicated. We're certainly going to be expanding this conversation to include the risks of smoking cannabis while pregnant, because both alcohol and cannabis do have detrimental impact on the developing brain.
Our nurses and our doctors who are providing pre-natal care are aware of the information. They have information from national sources but also local sources to help educate these mothers to encourage them not to drink. It's obviously, Mr. Speaker, easier said than done. We do have situations where we may have pregnant mothers who are chronically addicted to alcohol, which is why we've expedited the referral process to get these mothers down to treatment so that we can help them get off alcohol.
Between education in the clinics and the supports we're providing, we're trying to make sure that mothers are educated and mothers are not drinking or smoking cannabis while pregnant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
[English translation not provided.]
Similar to my last response, when it comes to educating mothers or expectant mothers, even mothers from small communities, we do rely on our health practitioners, community health nurses, or doctors to help share that information with them and make them aware.
Mr. Speaker, as one of the western and northern provinces and territories, we sit on a national FASD network. We work with the Canadian FASD Network, which does a significant amount of research, and they've put together a lot of really solid materials on the harms of drinking while pregnant.
This information is available to our staff and to our residents. We don't have a campaign per se. We focus on mothers when they are pregnant. I will ensure that that information is getting out to our practitioners so that they can, in turn, make sure that pregnant mothers have that information.
I have recently attended a number of clinical appointments, and I have seen that information available in our clinics. I will verify that we do make that information as available in some of our smaller and more remote communities.
[English translation not provided.]
We have the Aboriginal Health and Community Wellness Division within the Department of Health and Social Services. I'm happy to say that they have been working very closely with Education, Culture and Employment on new health curriculum here in the Northwest Territories that focuses on some of the realities and challenges that our people are facing. It does focus on prevention, and it's my understanding, but I will certainly confirm, that there is information in there on pregnancy and the risks of alcohol on a child of a pregnant mother.
Certainly, we need to go further and make sure that there's more information in that on the impacts of cannabis on the developing brain, because, as I said, a pregnant mother smoking cannabis or drinking will both have detrimental impacts on the child and their developing brain.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided.] Marsi.
The Member is right. I mean, we all need to work together to help people make productive choices and understand the impacts of their actions, and drinking alcohol while pregnant is certainly a problem. There is money being spent on that which should be spent on healthy choices for the mother while she is pregnant, healthy eating, healthy living.
I'm certainly prepared to sit down with the Member and get a better, clear understanding of exactly what he's asking and figure out how as an Assembly we can work to help people understand the impacts, including the costs, the impacts, of consuming alcohol. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
