Bill Text: TX HCR40 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Designating the Sunday through Saturday surrounding World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, each year as Texas Suicide Prevention Week.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2011-03-24 - Signed by the Governor [HCR40 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR40-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 40 |
|
||
WHEREAS, Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature | ||
death in the State of Texas; and | ||
WHEREAS, According to the latest available figures, | ||
approximately 30 Texans attempt suicide every day, and on average, | ||
6 attempts are completed; death by one's own hand stands as the 11th | ||
leading cause of mortality in the state overall, ranking 7th among | ||
men and 14th among women; and | ||
WHEREAS, Suicide is the third leading cause of death for | ||
young Texans and the second leading cause of death for college-age | ||
youth; a large number of suicides occur among the middle-aged as | ||
well, while the elderly suffer the highest rate; veterans and | ||
active-duty military personnel in Texas are also at high risk for | ||
suicide; and | ||
WHEREAS, In addition to the personal suffering involved, | ||
suicide entails significant social costs; the average medical | ||
expense associated with each suicide death is $4,000, while the | ||
medical cost of each suicide attempt averages nearly $9,000; in | ||
addition, the "work loss" cost per suicide death has been | ||
calculated at $1.2 million; and | ||
WHEREAS, The causes of suicide are complex and include | ||
psychological, biological, and sociological factors; among those | ||
who die by suicide, 90 percent are suffering from an underlying | ||
mental health or substance abuse condition; the most common mental | ||
health problem affecting those who commit suicide is a depressive | ||
disorder; sadly, the stigma attached to mental illness often | ||
discourages individuals who are afflicted from seeking help; and | ||
WHEREAS, Public health researchers, however, consider | ||
suicide to be one of the most preventable causes of death; | ||
opportunities for reducing the incidence of suicide continue to | ||
improve, thanks to advances in neuroscience, progress in diagnosing | ||
and treating mental illness, and the growing number of | ||
community-based suicide prevention initiatives; and | ||
WHEREAS, September 10 is now recognized annually as World | ||
Suicide Prevention Day; within this country, the Substance Abuse | ||
Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Suicide Prevention | ||
Resource Center, the American Association of Suicidology, and the | ||
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, together with Mental | ||
Health America of Texas and the Texas Suicide Prevention Council, | ||
have endorsed the week encompassing September 10 as a time to | ||
promote understanding about suicide and to highlight resources for | ||
addressing its precipitating causes; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby designate the Sunday through Saturday surrounding World | ||
Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, each year as Texas Suicide | ||
Prevention Week. | ||
Naishtat | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 40 was adopted by the House on | ||
February 2, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 40 was adopted by the Senate on | ||
March 14, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |