Murcia turning the skies turquoise for World FASD Awareness Day

The Murcian sky is set to be lit up tonight as the city aims to help spread more awareness on World FASD Day.

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME, or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, have had a special awareness day every year since the tradition began back in 1999, on September 9.

This day was chosen so that on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, the world will remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should abstain from alcohol.

The City Council, through the Department of Urban Development and Modernisation of the Administration led by José Guillén and the Department of Social Rights and Family, led by Pilar Torres, supports the initiative.

In order to give visibility to those affected by this disease and raise awareness about the challenges and difficulties that families of FASD sufferers have to face, the sky over Murcia will be illuminated in turquoise.

At 8.45pm, the Moneo Building, Paseo Alfonso X, the river-bed and the Almudí Palace will be showing their support by turning the skies turquoise in order to bring awareness to this tradition.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is the main cause of irreversibly effects on the baby’s brain, which produces damaging, and lasting, neuronal alterations.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the cause of a high amount of “intellectual disabilities” across the world, meaning that awareness to the cause is highly important.

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