Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 5.djvu/917

 PROCLAMATION 5427—JAN. 13, 1986

100 STAT. 4391

This knowledge led the Surgeon General of the United States to issue an advisory in 1981, which strongly encourages women who are pregnant or considering pregnancy to avoid the use of alcohol because of the potentially serious adverse consequences. The Surgeon General's advisory also stresses the preventability of these consequences. The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 189, has designated the week beginning January 12, 1986, as "National Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Week" and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of January 12 to 18, 1986, as National Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Week. I applaud the efforts of the medical/scientific community, the many public and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and concerned citizens who, over the years, have undertaken efforts to prevent FAS and other alcohol-related birth defects. I invite the Governors of the several States, the chief officials of local governments, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate activities, particularly those that seek to protect the health of children through heightened awareness of the potential adverse effects of alcohol use during pregnancy. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and tenth. RONALD REAGAN

Proclamation 5427 of January 13, 1986

Save Your Vision Week, 1986 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Of all the blessings that Americans enjoy, few are more important than good vision. It is this priceless gift that enables us to behold the great beauty of our country and take full advantage of the many opportunities it offers. Yet too many of us take the gift of sight for granted, and each year thousands suffer vision loss that could have been prevented. To avoid such tragedy, all of us must be more aware of what each of us can do to protect our eyes and safeguard our eyesight. The most important sight-saving precaution is to have regular eye checkups. Such examinations can provide valuable warning of incipient eye diseases that could endanger our vision. Early detection is invaluable, because eye research has produced new treatments that can halt many potentially blinding diseases before they have a chance to impair vision. For people with diabetes, eye examinations offer an especially good chance to benefit from sight-saving discoveries. Research sponsored by the National Eye Institute has shown that laser treatment can help many people who are at risk of visual loss from diabetic eye disease if the condition is detected early. Anyone with diabetes should be made aware of the importance of regular eye care. Routine eye examinations are important for people who are middle-aged or older, because that is when many eye diseases have their onset. With regu-

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