Senate Bill sb2400

    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SR 2400

    By Senator Saunders





    25-1808-02

  1                    Senate Resolution No. ____

  2         A resolution recognizing suicide as a state

  3         problem and encouraging initiatives aimed at

  4         preventing suicide.

  5

  6         WHEREAS, suicide, the eighth leading cause of all

  7  deaths in the United States and the third such cause for young

  8  persons ages 15 through 24, claims more than 30,000 lives

  9  annually nationwide, and

10         WHEREAS, suicide attempts, estimated to exceed 730,000

11  annually nationwide, adversely affect the lives of millions of

12  family members, friends, and co-workers, including many

13  Floridians, and

14         WHEREAS, suicide annually causes more than 200,000

15  family members nationwide, including many Floridians, to mourn

16  a tragic death, and

17         WHEREAS, the suicide rate per 100,000 persons has

18  remained relatively stable over the past 40 years for the

19  general population, but that rate has nearly tripled for young

20  persons and is highest for adults over 65, and

21         WHEREAS, the stigma associated with mental illness

22  works against suicide prevention by keeping persons who are at

23  risk of committing suicide from seeking lifesaving help, and

24         WHEREAS, the stigma associated with suicide seriously

25  inhibits surviving family members from regaining meaningful

26  lives, and

27         WHEREAS, suicide attempts and deaths impose a huge

28  unrecognized and unmeasured economic burden on the State of

29  Florida in terms of potential years of life lost, medical

30  costs incurred, and work time lost by mourners, and

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SR 2400
    25-1808-02




  1         WHEREAS, suicide is a complex, multifaceted biological,

  2  sociological, psychological, and societal problem, and

  3         WHEREAS, many suicides are currently preventable, and

  4  there is an urgent need for the development of more effective

  5  suicide-prevention programs, and

  6         WHEREAS, suicide-prevention opportunities continue to

  7  increase due to advances in clinical research, treatments for

  8  mental disorders, neuroscience, and the development of

  9  community-based initiatives that await evaluation, and

10         WHEREAS, suicide-prevention efforts should be

11  encouraged to the maximum extent possible, NOW, THEREFORE,

12

13  Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

14

15  That the Florida Senate recognizes suicide as a state problem

16  and declares suicide prevention to be a state priority;

17  acknowledges that no single suicide-prevention program or

18  effort will be appropriate for all populations or communities;

19  and encourages initiatives dedicated to preventing suicide,

20  responding to people who are at risk for suicide and people

21  who have attempted suicide, promoting safe and effective

22  treatment for persons who are at risk for suicidal behavior,

23  supporting people who have lost someone to suicide, and

24  developing an effective state strategy for the prevention of

25  suicide.

26         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body encourages the

27  development and promotion of accessible and affordable mental

28  health services that would enable all persons who are at risk

29  for suicide to obtain such services without fear of any

30  stigma.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.