TY - JOUR
T1 - Advocating alcohol abstinence to pregnant women: some observations about British policy
AU - Lowe, Pam K.
AU - Lee, Ellie J.
PY - 2010/8
Y1 - 2010/8
N2 - In 2007, the English Department of Health (DH) issued advice stating 'pregnant woman' and 'those trying to conceive' should abstain from drinking alcohol. As others have noted, this advice was issued despite their being no new evidence about the deleterious effects of low levels of alcohol consumption. In this paper, we argue this development is significant for the social construction of 'risk', since in advocating abstinence without an evidence base for this advice, policy makers formalise a connection between uncertainty and danger. We suggest this development has important implications, most obviously for pregnant women, certainly impacting on the nature of the advice they will now receive and likely more generally on their experience of the transition to motherhood. We suggest it has wider implications for individuals' experience also, as policy makers appear to be advocating the same approach to risk to non-pregnant people. Further, it suggests a noteworthy formalisation of a new definition of risk, which should be debated far more extensively, as it matters for the future development of health policy.
AB - In 2007, the English Department of Health (DH) issued advice stating 'pregnant woman' and 'those trying to conceive' should abstain from drinking alcohol. As others have noted, this advice was issued despite their being no new evidence about the deleterious effects of low levels of alcohol consumption. In this paper, we argue this development is significant for the social construction of 'risk', since in advocating abstinence without an evidence base for this advice, policy makers formalise a connection between uncertainty and danger. We suggest this development has important implications, most obviously for pregnant women, certainly impacting on the nature of the advice they will now receive and likely more generally on their experience of the transition to motherhood. We suggest it has wider implications for individuals' experience also, as policy makers appear to be advocating the same approach to risk to non-pregnant people. Further, it suggests a noteworthy formalisation of a new definition of risk, which should be debated far more extensively, as it matters for the future development of health policy.
KW - parenting
KW - risk
KW - uncertainty
KW - alcohol
KW - abstinence
KW - pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954283170&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13698571003789690
DO - 10.1080/13698571003789690
M3 - Article
SN - 1369-8575
VL - 12
SP - 301
EP - 311
JO - Health, Risk and Society
JF - Health, Risk and Society
IS - 4
ER -