Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is the largest preventable developmental disability in the U.S. and globally. It is more prevalent in the U.S. than autism, Down syndrome, and spina bifida combined, yet it receives a fraction of the awareness and resources to support impacted families.
That’s why Assistant Professor Kristina Uban, PhD, whose appointment is with the Program in Public Health’s Department of Health, Society, and Behavior, teamed up with Make It Better Productions, grassroots donors, and co-producers from several non-profits (NOFAS Washington State, FASD Communities, and Proof Alliance) to produce The FASD Project, a short awareness film and recent finalist in this year’s Most Important Films International Festival.
Dr. Uban has dedicated her career to studying the impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol on human nervous systems and its effect on cognitive and mental health problems in males and females. She used her network and expertise in this area to serve as producer and scientific liaison for the project to develop an impactful public health message and storyline for the short film. The producers expect that it will be developed into a full-length documentary slated to hit mainstream platforms in 2021-2022.
“The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in huge deregulations of how alcohol can be sold, which contributed to unprecedented spikes in alcohol use among Americans who were stuck at home, possibly dealing with lay-offs, and gravitating towards unhealthy habits to deal with stress. The FASD Project aims to bring necessary awareness to a little-known condition that affects millions of people,” said Uban.
The effects are especially prevalent in women of child-bearing age. Massive school closures across the country, due to the pandemic, forced mothers to leave the workforce at a rate four-times higher than fathers. Alcohol industry lobbyists were aggressive in their push to keep alcohol sales high despite widespread restrictions. As a result of this perfect storm, alcohol consumption spiked 41% among women, leading the U.S. to enter a high-risk situation for alcohol-impacted future pregnancies at historically high levels. The FASD Project hopes to educate the American public, and especially pregnant women, about this all-too common but often “invisible” public health issue.
The crew filmed nearly 50 individuals in nine different cities across the U.S. during the pandemic, while closely following COVID-19 prevention protocols established by Dr. Uban, specifically for this project. Given common auto-immune problems among individuals with FASD, avoiding infection and transmission was paramount. Traveling by RV, the crew of two (Uban’s husband and director, Justin Shepherd; Uban’s brother and film crew/editor, Jeff Beals) were able to avoid air travel, public restrooms, hotels and restaurants, and conducted symptom monitoring surveys and sanitation measures between interviews.
The team achieved both goals – to effectively avoid the coronavirus and successfully produce the film – under the most unprecedented circumstances. For information about this critical public health issue or if you are interested in learning more about The FASD Project, reach out to Dr. Kristina Uban at kuban@uci.edu with the email header: The FASD Project, or visit them online at www.thefasdproject.org.
