Alaska state Sen. Pete Kelly is trying to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome by proposing that the state put pregnancy tests in bars, restaurants and other public places.
The purpose of the free tests is to stop women from drinking while they are pregnant, "under the assumption that if you know you're pregnant, you won't drink. That is true for much of the population," the Alaska Republican told the
Anchorage Daily News.
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He told the newspaper he would enlist "a non profit of some kind to distribute them and service them in bars and restaurants."
The way it would work is there would be a Plexiglas bowl in the bathrooms of bars that would come with a message on a card, Kelly said.
However, he does not support putting free birth control in bars because he thinks it has the opposite effect and promotes irresponsible behavior.
"If you have people who are binge drinking or chronic drinkers, we're hesitant to say 'use birth control as your protection against fetal alcohol syndrome,' because again, as I say, binge drinking is a problem," Kelly said on the Senate floor,
Mediaite reported.
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