The inappropriate behaviour of some of our youngsters often defies understanding; and while recent headlines have focused on the influence of synthetic drugs, on top of the usual alcohol-related madness which is part of our binge-drinking culture, a story in the Courier caught my eye this week and offered another explanation.

It's called Fetal Alchol Spectrum Disorder, and refers to the permanent brain damage caused when women - who often don't know they're pregnant - drink alcohol before their baby is born.

A group of women whose own children have been affected by this disability have formed a local group called FASD - CAN to promote the message "Say no to alcohol".  They say that even though children with FASD often look normal, the brain damage resulting from exposure to alcohol can cause attention and memory deficits, hyperactivity, learning difficulties, poor impulse control and judgement, immature behavior and hearing and sight problems. 

At least one in 100 children in NZ are affected by this, and many others un-diagnosed. 

According to Canadian research, 60 per cent of people with FASD over the age of 12 have been charged with or convicted of a crime.

So while I'm neither excusing criminal behaviour at any age nor diminishing its effects on victims, I believe it's about time we looked closely at possible causes of that anti social behaviour, and put FASD on the list.

And ask why health warnings aren't put on bottles of alcohol, as they are on cigarette packets.  This government had the opportunity a year ago to make legislative changes which would have genuinely reduced the alcohol-related harm which rips through our society at every level, but instead they listened to their mates in the liquor industry who want no regulations or limits on their ability to make profits. 

It will be interesting to see what happens with Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway's bill drawn

Harm caused by Drugs
Ref.:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_alcohol

from the ballot this week, calling for a reduction in the permissible blood-alcohol level from 80 miilgrams of alcohol per 100 milligrams of blood to 50, putting us in line with most other western countries.

At present, you can legally drive drunk.  The officer in charge of Road Policing, Carey Grifiths, told MPs in the law-and-order select committee last week that he had consumed 13 beers in two hours as part of a study in drink driving - and was still below the limit.

Alcohol is an accepted relaxant, social facilitator and very much part of our culture.  However, it's time we put the spotlight on the true cost of alcohol-related harm - to ourselves and our born and unborn children - and demanded legislative support to reduce the harm. 

We can't afford to let our MPs continue to operate under the influence of the booze barons.  

I'm going to be lobbying my MP to get him to support Iain Lees-Galloway's bill. A law which permits a man to drink 13 beers before driving is an ass.