BAKER LAKE - A group of folks came together in Baker Lake this past month to have a little fun and raise awareness on one of the dangers of alcohol.

The Valentine's mocktail party was hosted by the Baker Lake Prenatal Nutrition Project and sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Services.

Close to 20 people braved freezing temperatures and stormy conditions to attend the party, which featured such non-alcoholic mocktails as the blue blizzard, mock champagne, tropical tundra and sparkling northern lights.

The gathering was held to raise awareness on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and to help prevent FASD by encouraging expectant mothers to avoid alcohol during pregnancy.

Nutritious snacks were enjoyed by the pregnant women and their guests, in addition to the fancy non-alcoholic drinks.

A guest speaker and FASD-themed games were also part of the activities, which showed a good time can be had without alcohol.

Baker Lake Prenatal Nutrition Project co-ordinator Laurel Kreuger said the idea for the event came from Nunavut's FASD awareness project within the Department of Health and Social Services.

She said it was unfortunate the extreme cold and stormy weather kept some people from attending.

"This is the second event held in Baker recently to raise awareness on FASD," said Kreuger.

"There's been a bit of funding available to hold a few events, so we took the opportunity to get the word out about FASD."

Kreuger said while the prenatal nutrition program does not provide counselling, some expectant mothers do ask, from time to time, about the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant.

She said FASD awareness is improving.

"Another area that's improved a little over time is the nutritional choices being made by expectant women, especially some of the younger mothers-to-be.

"I say that generally speaking, because it's hard to really know the definite answer without doing a detailed study.

"Junk food is still commonly eaten here, probably a little too much on a weekly basis.

"It's important to get the word out by holding different kinds of events every few months to keep bringing it up."

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