UK - Drinking alcohol while pregnant could become a crime after landmark test case

[dipsydoodle]

A landmark test case due to be heard by the Court of Appeal could criminalise excessive drinking during pregnancy.

It will be argued that a six-year-old girl is the victim of a crime because she suffered brain damage when she was exposed to alcohol in the womb - a risk that her mother was aware of, Sky News has reported.

The case comes amid a 50 per cent rise in Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the past three years, with 313 damaged from exposure to alcohol in the womb in 2012/2013.

Figures from the Department of Health show in total around one in 100 babies are now born with alcohol-related disorders.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant-could-become-a-crime-after-landmark-test-case-9147417.html

[MADem]

1. People on the continent do it all the time.

They don't get trashed, but they will unapologetically have a glass of wine.

Of course, the headline sub-title says The case could set a precedent against drinking heavily while pregnant so they aren't talking about just one glass of anything.

It will be interesting to see if this goes anywhere.