Smirnoff in the maternity unit. Foetal alcohol campaign gives massive boost to alcohol advertising

Diageo (Smirnoff, Guinness, etc.) have donated a piddling sum to NOFAS UK

Diageo (Smirnoff, Guinness, etc.) have donated a piddling sum to NOFAS UK for the 'education' of midwives about pregnant women drinking alcohol. I wonder how many UK midwives manage to qualify without an awareness of these dangers.

This small gob of money will trickle out as a sticky discharge over the next three years. You can bet each very small cheque will come with a massive PR effort to convince us how socially responsible Diageo is. My Independent on Sunday (12th June) gives a figure of £4m – a measly donation when one considers how much of it might have to go on generous salaries and office costs.

Mr Litherland (the man at the top of the UK Diageo heap) asserts (IoS again) that Diageo feels passionate about this scheme. This makes me want to expunge 'passionate' from my dictionary. What a piece of hypocrisy!  Real passion, the sort that costs money rather than piling more funds into the company bank, would show deep concern for the tens of thousands of UK babies, children, young people and families whose lives are ruined by alcohol – tens of thousands in contrast to the twenty a day NOFAS UK claims as victims of foetal alcohol syndrome.

While the campaign to protect foetuses from alcohol and all other poisons and pollutions is entirely valid, the acceptance of this tainted money does a disservice to all children, their families and all organisations working for them.  NOFAS UK have been duped by Diageo and have been bought cheap. Shame!

Peter Limbrick