S.C.R. No. 162 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Using the state's resources to prevent accidents, 1-2 injuries, and illnesses that harm our children is sound public 1-3 policy and would avoid greater expenditures in the future; and 1-4 WHEREAS, According to the Texas Office for Prevention of 1-5 Developmental Disabilities, it is believed that almost 50 percent 1-6 of all mental retardation could be prevented, using present 1-7 knowledge and techniques; of the 477,000 persons with mental 1-8 retardation in Texas, 200,000 cases could have been prevented; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Head and spinal cord injuries could be drastically 1-10 reduced if bicyclists would wear protective headgear and if parents 1-11 insisted that their children use seat belts; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Fetal alcohol syndrome could be eliminated if women 1-13 avoided drinking during their pregnancies; in addition, eradicating 1-14 cocaine usage by women during pregnancy would reduce brain damage 1-15 to the fetuses; and 1-16 WHEREAS, Developmental disabilities could be significantly 1-17 decreased if teenagers and adults could be convinced to avoid drug 1-18 and alcohol abuse, which can cause brain damage; drug and alcohol 1-19 abuse can also impair judgment sufficiently to cause accidents in 1-20 the home and on the highway; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Incapacitating injuries could be diminished if child 1-22 abuse and other forms of domestic violence could be stopped; and 1-23 WHEREAS, Children's healthy development can be ensured by 2-1 providing safe environments and protecting against chronic and 2-2 debilitating diseases and disorders by universal immunizations 2-3 with approved vaccines; and 2-4 WHEREAS, Early and appropriate mental health services for 2-5 children would reduce the incidence of drug use, destructive 2-6 behaviors, and suicide attempts that often leave children and 2-7 teenagers with severe brain injuries; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Adequate prenatal care for all mothers could 2-9 significantly cut the incidence of low birth weight babies who are 2-10 at a greater risk of mental retardation and other birth defects; 2-11 and 2-12 WHEREAS, Many children who are medically fragile suffer from 2-13 disabilities that could have been prevented, and recognition and 2-14 acknowledgment of this problem merits both the legislature's and 2-15 the citizenry's renewed attention; now, therefore, be it 2-16 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-17 hereby designate May, 1995, as "Child Focused Accident, Injury, and 2-18 Illness Prevention Month."