Moved second reading of Bill S-234, An Act respecting a national framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

He said: Honourable senators, I rise today as the sponsor of Bill S-234, An Act respecting a national framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. This is a bill that I believe addresses one of the most pressing yet chronically overlooked public health and social justice issues in this country: fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, commonly known as FASD.

This is a national issue that touches multiple jurisdictions and intersects with multiple systems — health, education, child welfare and corrections — and it impacts thousands of our citizens across every region, every background and every generation.

This is a subject that is particularly important to me, as I know it is to many of my colleagues here. It is a subject that I became well acquainted with as a rural family physician.

As I reintroduce this bill during FASD Awareness Month, I would like to express my gratitude to Senator Pat Duncan. Senator Duncan has been involved with this disorder’s community in the Yukon for decades, and she has shared her experience and expertise on this issue. Thank you, Pat.

I would also like to thank Senator Anderson and Senator Christmas for their sage advice as I worked through this bill. I thank all of you in this chamber for your support and consideration of this topic during the last Parliament.

Colleagues, Bill S-234 was developed through extensive consultation with the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network which is a collaborative, interdisciplinary research network with partners across the nation.

The network brings together a diverse array of professionals: academics, specialists in women’s health, individuals who are involved with criminal justice, developmental pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and Indigenous advisers.

My thanks to Dr. Lori Cox, the Director of Eastern Door Centre in Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick, for her feedback and dedicated work in this area.

September is FASD Awareness Month. We use this time to create conversations, support prevention and recognize the strengths of people affected by FASD.

This is a lifelong disability resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. When alcohol is consumed during pregnancy, it can alter the development of the brain and body of the fetus, leading to a spectrum of cognitive, behavioural and physical challenges.

Honourable colleagues, I want to be very clear: This is not an issue of morality; it is a matter of public health. People who give birth may not know that they are pregnant, may not be aware of the risks or may struggle with addiction, trauma or a lack of support.

The disorder is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed or — tragically — missed altogether, but the consequences are far‑reaching and include memory impairment, poor impulse control, difficulty understanding consequences, executive function challenges, learning disabilities and increased rates of mental illness.

Estimates suggest that a relatively large percentage of Canadians may be living with FASD, making it more prevalent than autism, Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy. Yet, the level of awareness, investment and coordinated response remains far too low.

Colleagues, the purpose of this bill is threefold: to establish a national framework for FASD; to ensure consistent access to diagnosis, prevention and support services across the provinces and territories; and to recognize it as a national public health and social policy priority.

The bill does not overstep provincial jurisdiction. It does not dictate service delivery models. What it does is create the structure, leadership and federal coordination necessary to support provinces, territories and Indigenous governments in addressing FASD in a coherent, evidence-based and compassionate manner.

The bill calls for development of public awareness and prevention campaigns that are culturally appropriate, trauma-informed and accessible in both official languages as well as Indigenous languages when possible.

We need to move away from fear-based, stigmatizing messaging. Instead, we must provide honest, non-judgmental information about alcohol and pregnancy and support for those struggling with substance use, including access to addiction services and wraparound prenatal care.

The bill also encourages mandatory training for health care providers, educators and frontline service workers so that prevention is not just a poster on a wall but part of everyday practice.

Far too many Canadians with FASD go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, conduct disorder or oppositional defiance. Without proper identification, they miss out on the supports that could fundamentally change their lives and trajectory.

The bill promotes the establishment of FASD diagnostic clinics across Canada with a particular focus on underserved areas, including rural, remote and northern communities. It calls for interdisciplinary diagnostic teams that include physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and social workers.

Diagnosis is, in fact, the gateway to intervention. Without it, families are left to navigate a complex system, often being blamed for their child’s behaviour rather than being supported in managing it. It does not end at childhood. This is a lifelong condition, and yet very few programs are designed to support adolescents and adults with FASD.

This bill mandates collaboration across federal departments, including the Department of Justice Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Public Safety Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada to develop informed policies in areas that include education and individualized learning plans, youth and adult corrections, mental health services, housing and employment support, foster and kinship care, and income assistance programs.

We know from the data that individuals with FASD are vastly overrepresented in the child welfare system, the criminal justice system and among Canadians experiencing homelessness. These are not inevitable outcomes. They are the result of systemic failure, and it is our duty to act.

Honourable colleagues, it is impossible to have a meaningful conversation about FASD in Canada without recognizing the disproportionate impact it has had on many First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

In 2015 the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, in Call to Action 33, called for the provision of culturally safe, community-based, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder diagnostic, intervention and prevention services in Indigenous communities.

Today, a decade later, there remain significant gaps and disparities across the country in addressing these areas.

But, colleagues, Indigenous leaders and communities are not only affected; they are also leading innovative, culturally grounded FASD initiatives. An example of this is the Eastern Door Centre, which recognizes the importance of early diagnosis and support to change the lifelong outcomes for individuals and their families. A national framework would support scaling up and appropriately adapting such successful models across the country.

This bill affirms that any national strategy on FASD must be developed in full partnership with Indigenous Peoples, respecting the principles of self-determination, truth and reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The cost of inaction, colleagues, is staggering. Studies estimate that the lifetime cost of supporting one individual with FASD can exceed $1.5 million, and this includes health care, education, corrections and lost productivity. By contrast, early diagnosis and support can dramatically reduce these costs, not only in dollars, but in human suffering.

FASD affects Canadians in every region, of every background and across all socio-economic groups. It affects urban and rural areas, Indigenous and non-Indigenous families and crosses all political lines.

Many challenges and opportunities to strengthen Canada’s approach to FASD were recently highlighted in a report released in June 2025 by the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. This assessment of the current landscape in Canada was commissioned by the Public Health Agency of Canada. I take this as a signal of their willingness to move forward with a national framework approach to improve outcomes through prevention, education, diagnosis and supports.

Colleagues, let us be clear: This bill will not solve every challenge related to FASD, but it is an important starting point. It will establish national leadership; it will provide coordination and consistency; and it will begin to close the gaps through which too many families have fallen for far too long.

Let us recognize that individuals with FASD are not broken. They are not problems to be managed. They are citizens with rights, potential and enormous capacity if we build the systems that allow them to thrive.

Colleagues, let this bill be the moment we stop asking families to carry this burden alone. Let this be the moment where we say, “Yes, we see you, we hear you and we are ready to act.”

I respectfully urge you to support this bill as it moves through this chamber and to join me in giving this issue the national attention, leadership and care it has so long deserved.

Colleagues, despite your urge to give me a standing ovation, I urge you to remain seated. Thank you. Meegwetch.

With pleasure.

This is an issue I have had the pleasure of discussing with Senator Brazeau, who you know is working closely on this file. Jointly, we hope to come up with a strategy to include these important warning labels on alcoholic products.