[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10939]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   NATIONAL SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE DAY

  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration 
of S. Res. 339, and the Senate then proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 339) designating November 18, 2000, 
     as ``National Survivors of Suicide Day.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. 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 finally, any statements 
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 339) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 339

       Whereas the 105th Congress, in Senate Resolution 84 and 
     House Resolution 212, recognized suicide as a national 
     problem and suicide prevention as a national priority;
       Whereas the Surgeon General has publicly recognized suicide 
     as a public health problem;
       Whereas the resolutions of the 105th Congress called for a 
     collaboration between public and private organizations and 
     individuals concerned with suicide;
       Whereas in the United States, more than 30,000 people take 
     their own lives each year;
       Whereas suicide is the 8th leading cause of death in the 
     United States and the 3rd major cause of death among young 
     people aged 15 through 19;
       Whereas the suicide rate among young people has more than 
     tripled in the last 4 decades, a fact that is a tragedy in 
     itself and a source of devastation to millions of family 
     members and loved ones;
       Whereas every year in the United States, hundreds of 
     thousands of people become suicide survivors (people that 
     have lost a loved one to suicide), and there are 
     approximately 8,000,000 suicide survivors in the United 
     States today;
       Whereas society still needlessly stigmatizes both the 
     people that take their own lives and suicide survivors;
       Whereas there is a need for greater outreach to suicide 
     survivors because, all too often, they are left alone to 
     grieve;
       Whereas suicide survivors are often helped to rebuild their 
     lives through a network of support with fellow survivors;
       Whereas suicide survivors play an essential role in 
     educating communities about the risks of suicide and the need 
     to develop suicide prevention strategies; and
       Whereas suicide survivors contribute to suicide prevention 
     research by providing essential information about the 
     environmental and genetic backgrounds of the deceased: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1)(A) designates November 18, 2000, as ``National 
     Survivors of Suicide Day''; and
       (B) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on Federal, State, and local administrators and the 
     people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities;
       (2) encourages the involvement of suicide survivors in 
     healing activities and prevention programs;
       (3) acknowledges that suicide survivors face distinct 
     obstacles in their grieving;
       (4) recognizes that suicide survivors can be a source of 
     support and strength to each other;
       (5) recognizes that suicide survivors have played a leading 
     role in organizations dedicated to reducing suicide through 
     research, education, and treatment programs; and
       (6) acknowledges the efforts of suicide survivors in their 
     prevention, education, and advocacy activities to eliminate 
     stigma and to reduce the incidence of suicide.

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