[Newsbot]

Title: Doctor proposes suing alcohol companies over FAS damage
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: hurley_108
Date: 2009-03-16 19:05:54
Canadian

[hurley_108]

$1:

She said lawsuits against tobacco companies helped cut down on smoking and pay for damage to the health of smokers, adding it's time to do the same with alcohol.

That's different. Alcohol, used in moderation, is safe to the user. Used to excess, and by pregnant women, t becomes dangerous. Cigarettes are not safe by any pattern of use.

$1:

Sklar Dennis, 25, of Prince George said his brain and body were harmed by alcohol.

"I remember from a very young age that my mum was still into drinking alcohol," Dennis recalled. "I remember her trying to offer me some."

One of Dennis's sons has also been affected. The boy has a speech impediment, is partly deaf in one ear and is mentally slower than others. "It's definitely frustrating," his father said.

So Dennis' mother drank when she was pregnant with him, he knew about it, and yet was apparently okay with his wife drinking when she was pregnant with his kid? Or am I missing something and FASD is genetic?

[ridenrain]

Gold-digging, pure and simple. Always sue the most wealthy because judges assume them to be guilty because their rich and they can "afford" it.

Most of the folks involved were natives so why isn't she suing the mothers on behalf of the children? .. because they have no money.

Ihope the judges kick this one out.

[fifeboy]

lily lily:

It's a nice thought, but ultimately people are responsible for their own actions. Too bad in this case they're not the ones who pay the price.

Lily, you have not raised FAS or FASD kids. They are brain damaged. Speaking to them about problems with alcohol is like talking to Ridenrain about something useful done by the Liberal party. They don't see the world like normal people do. Logic and scientific data mean nothing. They can't be held responsible for their actions in the same way normal kids are. Probably the best thing to do with them is put the girls on some sort of birth control (injections?) and hope they get through the binge drinking they are going to do.

[RUEZ]

What's next? WE sue car companies for every accident? How about we sue alcohol and car companies every time someone drives drunk?

[Proculation]

The cigarette companies were accused because they said there was no health problem to smoke and that it was not addictive.

We know for centuries that alcohol is bad for health and is addictive.

[herbie]

How about we sue the people who think that because SOME people can't drink one glass of wine and have to drink a couple bottles while they're knocked up, the other 99% of us should be told bullshit.
I work with someone who has a fucking flipper for an arm cuz his mom was such a teetotaler she listened to the fucking doctor instead of trying a glass of sherry.

[ShepherdsDog]

What does a deformation of one of his arms have to do with abstaining from alcohol while pregnant?

[Zipperfish]

It's called personal responsibility, doc. Look into. Some of these doctors these days act more like Catholic priests than physicians.

[ShepherdsDog]

proctologists?

[Zipperfish]

[Regina]

[fifeboy]

lily lily:

I meant that the ones who pay the price aren't the parents but the kids.

Probably the parents are FAE/FAS themselves.

And quite right you are lily.

[DrJones]

The whole premise of this proposal is bullshit. We already force the "externalities" of alcohol consumption into the price of it via taxation. When you buy a bottle of liquor in Ontario for example its cost is nearly 80% taxes. For wine and beer, I don't know the numbers, but it is something similar I imagine.

Those "sin taxes" are supposed to pay for the adverse effects of drinking in society in general.

The reason the tobacco companies could be sued was because they were lying about the effects of tobacco smoking (among others.) The alcohol industry states quite clearly that pregnant women should NOT be drinking.

All I need - the price of my beer to go up AGAIN once these lawsuit costs would be factored in. No thank you. It's tragic that these babies are affected by FAS but it's not the alcohol companies' fault.

[QBall]

What absolute garbage. If the mother drank paint while preagnant are you going to sue Benjamin Moore for the ensuing damages. The mom is the one who chose to poison their child by doing something they knew they shouldn't do, so why is it the alcohol manufacturers fault because they chose to use the product as it was not intended.