BILL NUMBER: HR 39	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hueso

                        AUGUST 16, 2012

   Relative to Suicide Prevention Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, Suicide is the 11th leading cause of all deaths in the
United States and is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in
California; and
   WHEREAS, Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people
ages 10 to 24 years in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, More people ages 10 to 24 years die from suicide than
from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic
lung disease combined; and
   WHEREAS, In the United States, one person completes suicide every
17 minutes; and
   WHEREAS, Suicide can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender,
sexuality, or ethnicity; and
   WHEREAS, Untreated mental illness is the cause for the vast
majority of suicides; and
   WHEREAS, The stigma associated with mental illness works against
suicide prevention by discouraging persons at risk for suicide from
seeking lifesaving help and further traumatizing survivors of
suicide; and
   WHEREAS, Despite these statistics, suicide has not been adequately
addressed and people are not well educated about symptoms of suicide
and the ways in which it can be prevented; and
   WHEREAS, A great many suicides are preventable and the number of
suicides can be reduced through awareness, education, and treatment;
and
   WHEREAS, There are numerous organizations that work toward
providing awareness and help individuals who may suffer from
self-destructive behavior, such as suicide; and
   WHEREAS, These organizations are dedicated to understanding the
roots and dynamics of self-destructive behavior and alleviating the
resulting social problems for the purposes of saving and creating
more meaningful lives; and
   WHEREAS, Providing suicide prevention awareness on a statewide
level may help decrease the number of suicide attempts and deaths in
California; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
month of September 2012 is hereby designated as Suicide Prevention
Month in the State of California; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.