[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 6, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4037-S4038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNIZING SUICIDE AS A NATIONAL PROBLEM

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 84, 
submitted earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 84) recognizing suicide as a national 
     problem, and for other purposes.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the resolution 
appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S4038]]

  The resolution (S. Res. 84) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                               S. Res. 84

       Whereas suicide, the ninth leading cause of all deaths in 
     the United States and the third such cause for young persons 
     ages 15 through 24, claims over 31,000 lives annually, more 
     than homicide;
       Whereas suicide attempts, estimated to exceed 750,000 
     annually, adversely impact the lives of millions of family 
     members;
       Whereas suicide completions annually cause over 200,000 
     family members to grieve over and mourn a tragic suicide 
     death for the first time, thus creating a population of over 
     4,000,000 such mourners in the United States;
       Whereas the suicide completion rate per 100,000 persons has 
     remained relatively stable over the past 40 years for the 
     general population, and that rate has nearly tripled for 
     young persons;
       Whereas that suicide completion rate is highest for adults 
     over 65;
       Whereas the stigma associated with mental illness works 
     against suicide prevention by keeping persons at risk of 
     completing suicide from seeking lifesaving help;
       Whereas the stigma associated with suicide deaths seriously 
     inhibits surviving family members from regaining meaningful 
     lives;
       Whereas suicide deaths impose a huge unrecognized and 
     unmeasured economic burden on the United States in terms of 
     potential years of life lost, medical costs incurred, and 
     work time lost by mourners;
       Whereas suicide is a complex, multifaceted biological, 
     sociological, psychological, and societal problem;
       Whereas even though many suicides are currently 
     preventable, there is still a need for the development of 
     more effective suicide prevention programs;
       Whereas suicide prevention opportunities continue to 
     increase due to advances in clinical research, in mental 
     disorder treatments, and in basic neuroscience, and due to 
     the development of community-based initiatives that await 
     evaluation; and
       Whereas suicide prevention efforts should be encouraged to 
     the maximum extent possible: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognize suicide as a national problem and declares 
     suicide prevention to be a national priority;
       (2) acknowledges that no single suicide prevention program 
     or effort will be appropriate for all populations or 
     communities;
       (3) encourages initiatives dedicated to--
       (A) preventing suicide;
       (B) responding to people at risk for suicide and people who 
     have attempted suicide;
       (C) promoting safe and effective treatment for persons at 
     risk for suicidal behavior;
       (D) supporting people who have lost someone to suicide; and
       (E) developing an effective national strategy for the 
     prevention of suicide; and
       (4) encourages the development, and the promotion of 
     accessibility and affordability, of mental health services, 
     to enable all persons at risk for suicide to obtain the 
     services, without fear of any stigma.

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, Senate 
Resolution 84 recognizes suicide as a national problem, and it has been 
submitted by Senators Reid, Murray, Wellstone, and Coverdell.

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