National Framework on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Bill
Second Reading
November 25, 2025
Honourable senators, I rise today to speak in support of Bill S-234, An Act respecting a national framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
This bill is very necessary, as we are facing nothing short of a multi-generational epidemic. So I am grateful to Senator Ravalia for bringing this forward with his usual passion, expertise and compassion.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD, affects people who were exposed to alcohol when they were developing in the womb. In some cases, babies are even born with every organ saturated with alcohol.
Needless to say, it compromises physical development — height, weight, facial features and other organs such as bones, kidneys or heart — at best, leading to a lifetime of pain and pain management.
FASD, of course, fundamentally affects the brain, and that means impaired balance, motor skills, communication, comprehension, speech, thinking and learning — all skills and abilities that are key to a normal quality of life.
FASD is also the most common non-genetic cause of learning disability. It is often coupled with ADHD, learning disorders, depression, anxiety, even autism, which, in turn, leads to various forms of substance abuse in many cases.
However, we are still learning, and that is why this bill is so important.
FASD developmental issues are usually irreversible. You simply cannot undo the damage that alcohol can do to a baby’s body and brain as they are developing, so there is really no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed during pregnancy.
But here is the challenge: FASD symptoms are not the same for everyone. It’s a complex condition. This means that it is not always easy to diagnose or recognize the disorder. It is this complexity that challenges not only the individual but the family and the medical professionals as well.
Some parents might never realize their child has this disorder. Some prospective mothers may not be aware they themselves have it. Many women drink through the early weeks of their pregnancy, not aware that they have conceived, or they might be struggling with alcohol addiction or facing pressure from those around them to keep their bad habits going. There are even those who resist, claiming it’s their right to drink, do drugs or smoke — in other words, to subject their unborn child to this form of abuse.
No matter the situation, there is no benefit in blaming birth mothers for this, especially if they are struggling with addiction. It’s not going to help those inheriting the outcomes.
The truly sad impact of FASD is that many suffering from this disease often end up in prisons, in the child welfare system or on the streets. Some may simply never be able to work productively or support themselves.
This disability affects us all, robbing kids in classrooms of time and attention because teachers are distracted trying to cope, or leading to lack of care because hospital hallways and beds are overwhelmed. Of course, it can also mean more crime on the streets.
Regardless of who you are, where you live or where you come from, this disorder touches our lives. It’s estimated about 4% of the general population, or more than 1.5 million Canadians, have FASD; that’s more than 45,000 people alone in my home province. These numbers mean FASD is the leading developmental disability in the country, and, therefore, it’s fair to say this is an epidemic.
Awareness and education are a start. We also need to ensure that we can diagnose early and offer mitigating support measures. This bill will help to further advance those efforts.
Organizations such as the FASD Network of Saskatchewan help those living with FASD. Some phenomenal work was done by the former Saskatchewan social services minister June Draude. She is a friend; I watched her do it.
She introduced the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day Act in 2002 and led the province to invest in a strategy to raise awareness and create supports.
June reminds us when you have a sip, glass or even bottle of wine, your baby has that sip, glass or bottle of wine too, literally within minutes.
In rural areas and on reserves in First Nations, some communities have such high rates that it’s becoming a vicious cycle. I know because I live in one such community. The disease is passed down from generation to generation. Mothers struggle with addiction, having children who are never diagnosed. Then they have their own children while struggling with symptoms or their own addictions. We don’t yet know the full extent of this so-called multiplier effect, but we can clearly see and witness the devastation in smaller communities.
Despite the work of organizations and community leaders like June, there’s always more to be done. That’s where Senator Ravalia’s bill comes into play.
Bill S-234 was developed collaboratively with the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network to ensure a variety of professionals were consulted across the country.
Senator Ravalia tells us that he has three objectives: first, to establish a national framework for FASD; second, to ensure consistent access to diagnosis, prevention and support services across all provinces and territories; third, to recognize FASD as a national public health and social policy priority.
The bill does not infringe on provincial jurisdiction or dictate service delivery modes. What it does do is create the structure, leadership and coordination necessary to support provinces, territories and Indigenous governments in a coherent, evidence-based and compassionate manner.
As Senator Ravalia said, the bill also encourages mandatory training for health care providers, educators and frontline service workers so prevention is not just a slogan but actually part of everyday practice.
The bill calls for the establishment of FASD diagnostic clinics across Canada, with a particular focus on underserved areas, including rural, remote and northern communities as well as First Nations. It wisely proposes that interdisciplinary diagnostic teams that include physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and social workers are set up.
This was an important point Senator Ravalia made: Diagnosis is the gateway to intervention and prevention in the next generations; 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.
Further, this does not end at childhood. This is a lifelong condition, yet few programs are designed to support adolescents through adulthood.
I think the bill is so important because it tries to make governments act smarter in their approach to FASD. It actually mandates collaboration across government departments.
I wholeheartedly support the efforts of Senator Ravalia. I hope that together we can move forward quickly and, in doing so, make a difference in the lives of many.
Thank you, Senator Ravalia.
Would Senator Wallin take a question?
Yes, please.
Senator Wallin, as you know, I am also supportive of this bill. You mentioned Saskatchewan had an FASD awareness campaign; I’m wondering if that included a specific day. The Yukon initiative was to declare the ninth day of the ninth month Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day. I’m wondering if Saskatchewan chose the same day.
I don’t know for certain, but that is not my recollection.
My recollection is it was event driven, with education and awareness events in different communities at different times. I also think, depending on the need, June Droude, whom I referenced, was the minister but carried on her activities even after she left government. I think that’s how it was constructed but am not 100% certain.
Thank you. Perhaps we could include a specific day or an awareness initiative as part of the discussions on this particular bill.
Thank you.
That’s a good idea.
Honourable senators, I rise today as the friendly critic of Bill S-234, An Act respecting a national framework for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD.
I want to begin by thanking my dear friend and colleague Senator Ravalia for his continued leadership on this file. Through his compassionate and sustained advocacy, Senator Ravalia has once again brought our attention to a condition that affects more Canadians than most realize.
During the last Parliament, many senators from all groups and caucuses intervened with insight and conviction on this issue. I thank all of them. I thank Senator Ravalia for ensuring this important work continues.
Colleagues who have spoken on this bill have clearly defined FASD and outlined its effects. As a lifelong neurodevelopmental disability resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol, it affects brain development, learning, memory, judgment, sensory processing, emotional regulation, executive functioning and physical health. It is often described as a hidden disability, not because its impacts are small, but because they are frequently misunderstood or misdiagnosed.
It is also more prevalent than many people assume. The best available research, including estimates referenced in the previous iteration of this bill, suggest that at least 4% of Canadians may be living with FASD.
However, despite this prevalence, support for individuals and families still depends far too heavily on geography. Some regions have specialized diagnostic clinics while others do not. Many communities lack any dedicated services at all.
Families living with FASD consistently describe the difficulty of navigating disconnected systems and the uncertainty of not knowing whether appropriate supports will be available when needed. This is not merely a service gap. It is a human rights gap. Thus, Bill S-234 is not just a policy proposal but a test of whether we mean what we say when we speak of human rights in this country.
We have signed international conventions pledging that every person with a disability has the right to an early intervention, accessible supports and full participation in society. But rights are meaningless without structure, and for FASD, Canada has never built that structure. Families have carried the weight instead, and, more often than not, they are alone, under-resourced and unheard.
This bill changes that. It demands a national framework that outlines real standards, accountability and coordination. It requires the federal government to start treating FASD as a national responsibility. It calls for the development of national guidelines and best practices related to diagnosis, intervention, awareness and training for professionals who regularly interact with individuals with this disability. The intent is not to impose uniform programs across jurisdictions but to create a coherent structure that supports better coordination and shared information.
This bill also calls for meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities. These communities have asked for years for culturally grounded supports and recognition of FASD as part of the wider legacy of colonial harm. Passing this bill is one concrete way to honour those calls instead of just rehearsing them.
We know that the absence of coordinated care has created avoidable hardship: children who miss early diagnosis, youth who fall through the cracks at school, adults who encounter the justice system because we failed to support them. This is preventable harm, and preventing harm is the minimum standard of any rights-respecting nation.
This legislation is not symbolic. It is practical, overdue and morally necessary. It gives us tools to deliver on commitments we have already made. It gives us tools to make good on the simple but powerful promise that disability should never determine whom someone could be and how they could contribute to society.
Colleagues, Bill S-234 is an opportunity to stop managing FASD in fragments and to start responding with coherence. It offers a practical and collaborative approach to improving how Canada understands and responds to FASD. It sets out a process for gathering better information, strengthening coordination and identifying ways to make supports more consistent for individuals and families across the country.
I encourage you, my honourable colleagues, to support Bill S-234 at second reading so that it may receive the detailed study it deserves. Thank you.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(Motion agreed to and bill read second time.)
