Senate Resolution 151

PAG LIN

  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2                  BY  RAGAN and TINSMAN
  1  3 A Resolution identifying suicide as a problem affecting
  1  4    the entire state and supporting the development of
  1  5    suicide prevention activities.
  1  6    WHEREAS, according to the Iowa Department of Public
  1  7 Health's Healthy Iowans 2010 report, in the United
  1  8 States suicide is the ninth leading cause of death
  1  9 overall, the third leading cause of death for persons
  1 10 ages 15 to 24, the sixth leading cause of death for
  1 11 persons ages five to 15, and suicide rates are high
  1 12 among the elderly; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, in Iowa, the report indicates suicide
  1 14 deaths average 306 per year and according to the
  1 15 federal government's National Strategy for Suicide
  1 16 Prevention it is estimated there are five suicide
  1 17 attempts for every death; and
  1 18    WHEREAS, analysis of the national strategy
  1 19 information indicates in 1996 medical costs relating
  1 20 to suicide attempts and deaths by young people were
  1 21 estimated at $14 million, loss of future earnings
  1 22 totaled $44 million, and loss of quality of life costs
  1 23 amounted to $174 million; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, the Healthy Iowans 2010 report stresses
  1 25 the importance of raising community awareness about
  1 26 the need for early intervention and recognition of
  1 27 Iowa citizens who are potentially at risk for suicide,
  1 28 particularly youth and the elderly; and
  1 29    WHEREAS, Iowa's Suicide Prevention Strategy
  1 30 Steering Committee, a group of educators, mental
  2  1 health and public health workers, counselors,
  2  2 physicians, and others, have requested that suicide
  2  3 prevention be identified as a state goal; NOW
  2  4 THEREFORE,
  2  5    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
  2  6 identifies suicide as a serious problem affecting the
  2  7 entire state and that a variety of suicide prevention
  2  8 programs are needed for all populations and in all
  2  9 communities in the state; and
  2 10    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate supports
  2 11 development of the following suicide prevention
  2 12 initiatives:  responding to persons at risk for
  2 13 suicide and persons who have attempted suicide,
  2 14 promoting safe and effective treatment for persons at
  2 15 risk for suicidal behavior, supporting persons who
  2 16 have lost someone to suicide, and developing an
  2 17 effective statewide strategy for the prevention of
  2 18 suicide; and
  2 19    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Senate encourages
  2 20 the development and promotion of accessible and
  2 21 affordable mental health services to enable all
  2 22 persons who are at risk for suicide to obtain these
  2 23 services without fear of any stigma.
  2 24 LSB 6823SS 80
  2 25 jp/sh/8