Alcohol, Tobacco & Drugs


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Tips for parents and caregivers about the dangers of smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs. Give your kids a healthy start!

Protect yourself and your family from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.

If you use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs when you are pregnant, your baby may be born too early or too small or may have other serious health problems. Using prescription and over-the-counter medicines incorrectly can also harm your baby. This includes drugs your doctor prescribed before you were pregnant and nonprescription drugs such as aspirin, as well as cold and cough medicine. Check with your doctor before you take any medicines during your pregnancy.

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your baby may be born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD includes birth defects, problems with vision and hearing, as well as other health, mental, learning, and behavioral problems. These problems last a lifetime for your child.

If you’re breastfeeding or feeding your baby breast milk, be cautious about drinking alcohol―if you choose to drink at all. You may consume a single alcoholic drink if your baby’s breastfeeding behavior is well established―no earlier than 3 months old. Then wait at least 4 hours before breastfeeding or express breast milk during those 4 hours but throw it out. You may want to express breast milk BEFORE drinking any alcohol so you have milk to feed your baby when the alcohol is still in your system.

Smoking: Keep your children away from tobacco smoke everywhere, including at home and in the car. Babies and children who are around tobacco smoke have more colds, coughs, and earaches.

Your children need your love and care. A caregiver who abuses alcohol or uses street drugs, including marijuana, may forget to feed, wash, and change the baby or otherwise care for the children.

If You Need Help

Talk to someone in the WIC office, a doctor, or other healthcare or social service worker if you need help quitting or cutting down alcohol, tobacco, or drugs. They will know where you can go for help.