Six years after Parliament passed a motion requiring labels on alcohol warning of the dangers of drinking while pregnant, Judy Wasylycia-Leis says she is frustrated by government inaction.
"Parliament passed my motion by an overwhelming 217-11 vote," the New Democrat member of Parliament from Winnipeg and former health critic said on Monday.
"Yet I am still regularly presenting petitions in the House from Canadians pleading for government action.
This defies the will of Parliament and the wishes of Canadians — certainly the children and families who continue to be devastated by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder."
The most common birth defect in Canada, Health Canada estimates that every day at least one child is born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It can lead to deformities, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, short attention span and memory problems.
The syndrome is caused when women drink during pregnancy.
Wasylycia-Leis says she thinks the reason the Liberal government ignored the motion when it was passed was because industry lobbied hard against the idea.
"The brewers association spends exorbitant amounts of money to try to fight against any effort to put labels on what they consider to be a perfect product which shouldn't be tarnished with a label," she told CBC News.
Provinces and territories are free to put warning labels on bottles for sale, but it's up to the federal government to force the liquor companies to do it.
Canada's territories — but none of the provinces — label their liquor store bottles.
Yukon Liquor Corporation vice-president Virginia Labelle said liquor store staff have been putting stickers on wine and liquor bottles since 1991.
They warn pregnant women that drinking alcohol can cause birth defects.
"Our approach is anything, no matter how small, that we can do that could help, we would like to have in place," Labelle told CBC News.
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