House Bill hb9061

    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9061

        By Representative Rich






  1                         House Resolution

  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 coworkers, including many

13  Floridians, and

14         WHEREAS, suicide annually causes more than 180,000

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

31

                                  1

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






    Florida House of Representatives - 2002                HR 9061

    790-113A-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 House of Representatives of the State of

14  Florida:

15

16         That the House of Representatives recognizes suicide as

17  a state problem and declares suicide prevention to be a state

18  priority; acknowledges that no single suicide-prevention

19  program or effort will be appropriate for all populations or

20  communities; and encourages initiatives dedicated to

21  preventing suicide, responding to people who are at risk for

22  suicide and people who have attempted suicide, promoting safe

23  and effective treatment for persons who are at risk for

24  suicidal behavior, supporting people who have lost someone to

25  suicide, and developing an effective state strategy for the

26  prevention of suicide.

27         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body encourages the

28  development and promotion of accessible and affordable mental

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

30  for suicide to obtain such services without fear of any

31  stigma.

                                  2

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