Stop drinking alcohol as soon as you start trying to conceive

Montreal, October 16, 2019 — In its sixth campaign on pregnancy and drinking, Éduc’alcool once again reminds pregnant women and those hoping to become pregnant that, when it comes to the health of the fetus, it’s best to take no risk at all: the moment a woman starts trying to conceive a child, abstaining from alcohol is advised.

“Avoiding alcohol from the moment you start trying to become pregnant is the safest choice for creating a healthy environment for fertilization and early development. It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact moment of fertilization, and the embryo is particularly vulnerable during the first trimester.”

– Hubert Sacy, Director General

After a number of mass media awareness campaigns, Éduc’alcool is narrowing its focus, taking more direct aim at pregnant women and those who want to become pregnant. “We have had considerable success in boosting awareness of the recommendation not to drink, and encouraging a pregnant woman’s community to support her decision to abstain from alcohol. Now it’s time to engage pregnant women through dialogue and conversation, to remind them of this important message and to further convince them without judging, scaring or blaming them,” continued Hubert Sacy.

The campaign includes well-researched articles on healthy habits for pregnant women, as well as facts and fiction about pregnancy and drinking. Also on the menu: recipes for Holiday and summertime mocktails.

An ad will be placed in the Livret de grossesse, passeport vers la vie, a “pregnancy passport” given to pregnant women in clinics, CLSCs and other health establishments in Quebec. The ad encourages women to read the informative publication produced jointly by Éduc’alcool and the Quebec College of Physicians, called Pregnancy and Drinking: Your Questions Answered. Banner ads will also appear online.

Videos will be placed on various websites, in online newsletters and in social media, with banner ads also delivering the message. In addition, an e-newsletter will go out to the 50,000 people who subscribe to Maman pour la vie/Mother for life.

Éduc’alcool’s offensive will include a monthly quiz (one question a month for 12 months) at the Maman pour la vie/Mother for life Facebook page; the same monthly quiz question will appear in the e-newsletter sent to mothers-to-be.

“This is a non-paternalistic, non-judgmental campaign with a distinctive esthetic that targets a particular audience and focuses on dialogue and interaction. Gently and respectfully provocative, it is designed to attract attention and deal with real issues,” concluded Hubert Sacy.

Source: Éduc’alcool

Information:
Élizabeth Hallée-Lamarche
[email protected]
418 812-7902