[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 112 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORT AWARENESS OF SUICIDE AND EFFORTS TO PREVENT SUICIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 1997

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing a resolution 
today that recognizes that suicide is a national problem and encourages 
suicide prevention efforts. I am pleased that more than 20 of my 
colleagues are joining me in this effort by becoming original 
cosponsors of this bill.
  It is my hope that congressional recognition will encourage people to 
talk about feelings of despair and suicide. An estimated 750,000 people 
attempt suicide each year. These attempts are traumatic not only for 
the individual but also for family and friends who surround him or her.
  Suicide claims more than 31,000 lives annually, more than homicide. 
It is the ninth leading cause of all deaths in the United States and 
the third for young people aged 15 to 24. It is on the rise for young 
people in general and for African-American young men in particular.
  We must talk about mental illness, and we must encourage treatment. 
We must tell our friends and our loved ones that it is OK to talk about 
feelings of despair, hopelessness, and suicide. For those who have the 
courage to get help, to seek treatment--we must support them. And we 
must talk about suicide so that we can try to understand it and prevent 
it.
  Too much shame surrounds feelings of depression and suicide. We can 
change that--and we must--by reaching out to others in our community. 
This resolution recognizes suicide as a national problem and declares 
suicide prevention to be a national priority. It also encourages 
initiatives to prevent suicide and support people who have lost someone 
to suicide.
  The Senate has already passed a similar resolution. It is my hope 
that the House of Representatives will soon consider this important 
issue.

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