Cairns Mayor supports improved FASD testing to help youth crime crisis

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said she would support improved access and affordability for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder testing in Far North Queensland.

Ms Eden attended a community crime rally in Cairns in February. Picture: Brendan Radke

Cairns Mayor Amy Eden has thrown her weight behind improved access and affordability for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder testing in Far North Queensland.

“FASD is a serious condition that can have lifelong impacts,” Ms Eden said.

“I acknowledge the calls from experts and advocates for more accessible, affordable diagnosis and support services.

“Early identification is critical, not only to improve individual outcomes, but also to reduce the broader social and economic costs associated with youth justice involvement.”

Ms Eden’s comments follow the launch of Cause and Effect, a Cairns Post campaign calling for free and mandatory testing for at-risk children in Queensland.

At-risk children includes those in care or protective custody and those involved in the youth justice system.

Children with FASD are overrepresented in these populations, but exact numbers are hard to come by.

According to Brisbane psychologist Dr Vanessa Spiller, FASD is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, impacted by long waiting times and excessive costs for assessment.

A landmark 2018 study found that 36 per cent of detained children in Western Australia’s Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre had FASD, but Dr Spiller recently said she believed this number could be as high as 60 per cent nation-wide.

She said this is because the Banksia Hill study only assessed the impairment of eight out of 10 neurodevelopmental domains, and because confirmation of prenatal alcohol exposure is required for diagnosis, which couldn’t be determined in some of the children.

Premier David Crisafulli recently announced an expansion to Queensland’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws. Picture: Lachie Millard

Ms Eden said she had “long advocated very strongly for improved support systems and collaboration at all levels of government to turn around the youth crime crisis”.

“I have also been supportive of the State Government’s Adult Crime Adult Time legislation – a necessary step in removing the small, hardcore cohort of recidivist offenders from our streets,” she said.

Ms Eden also recently supported the expansion of these laws to include crimes such as rape and attempted murder.

“Cairns Regional Council remains committed to playing an active role in building a safer and stronger community for all residents,” Ms Eden said.

“As I have publicly stated previously, I welcome the chance to work with the State Government to make our city a priority and be a place of pilot programs and trials for further improvements.

“We need to work together to keep our community safe.”

FASD is a form of brain injury, caused by an expectant mother drinking during pregnancy.

It can cause a range of various cognitive and behavioural impairments and physical abnormalities, and affects about five per cent of the Australian population.

Originally published as Cairns Mayor supports improved FASD testing to help youth crime crisis