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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Suicide is a major preventable cause of premature |
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death in the State of Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, According to the latest available figures, |
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approximately 30 Texans attempt suicide every day, and on average, |
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6 attempts are completed; death by one's own hand stands as the 11th |
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leading cause of mortality in the state overall, ranking 7th among |
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men and 14th among women; and |
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WHEREAS, Suicide is the third leading cause of death for |
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young Texans and the second leading cause of death for college-age |
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youth; a large number of suicides occur among the middle-aged as |
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well, while the elderly suffer the highest rate; veterans and |
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active-duty military personnel in Texas are also at high risk for |
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suicide; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to the personal suffering involved, |
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suicide entails significant social costs; the average medical |
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expense associated with each suicide death is $4,000, while the |
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medical cost of each suicide attempt averages nearly $9,000; in |
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addition, the "work loss" cost per suicide death has been |
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calculated at $1.2 million; and |
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WHEREAS, The causes of suicide are complex and include |
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psychological, biological, and sociological factors; among those |
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who die by suicide, 90 percent are suffering from an underlying |
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mental health or substance abuse condition; the most common mental |
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health problem affecting those who commit suicide is a depressive |
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disorder; sadly, the stigma attached to mental illness often |
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discourages individuals who are afflicted from seeking help; and |
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WHEREAS, Public health researchers, however, consider |
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suicide to be one of the most preventable causes of death; |
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opportunities for reducing the incidence of suicide continue to |
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improve, thanks to advances in neuroscience, progress in diagnosing |
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and treating mental illness, and the growing number of |
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community-based suicide prevention initiatives; and |
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WHEREAS, September 10 is now recognized annually as World |
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Suicide Prevention Day; within this country, the Substance Abuse |
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Mental Health Services Administration, the U.S. Suicide Prevention |
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Resource Center, the American Association of Suicidology, and the |
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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, together with Mental |
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Health America of Texas and the Texas Suicide Prevention Council, |
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have endorsed the week encompassing September 10 as a time to |
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promote understanding about suicide and to highlight resources for |
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addressing its precipitating causes; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the Sunday through Saturday surrounding World |
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Suicide Prevention Day, September 10, each year as Texas Suicide |
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Prevention Week. |