[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 95 (Monday, July 12, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H5515-H5516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE GARRETT LEE SMITH MEMORIAL ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a subject that is 
very difficult for many of us to address, and that is the subject of 
suicide.
  Last Friday, along with the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), 
the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), I introduced 
H.R. 4799, the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act. This legislation offers 
a comprehensive strategy toward addressing suicide, suicide prevention 
and mental health in high schools and on college campuses.
  So why is it important to address this critical issue? I would like 
people to consider these facts.
  Number one, more children and young adults die from suicide each year 
than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke and 
chronic lung disease combined.
  Number two, over 4,000 children and young adults take their own lives

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every year, making suicide the third overall cause of death between the 
ages of 10 and 24.
  From 1952 to 1995, the rate of suicide in children and young adults 
has tripled.
  The American College Health Association found that 61 percent of 
college students reported feeling hopeless, 45 percent said they feel 
so depressed they could barely function, and 9 percent felt they were 
suicidal.
  According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, depression among 
college freshmen has nearly doubled to 16.3 percent. I find these 
statistics very troubling and somewhat alarming.
  According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 20 
percent of full-time undergraduate college students use elicit drugs, 
and 18.4 percent of adults ages 18 to 24 are dependent on or are 
abusing illicit drugs or alcohol, and all of this drug abuse and 
alcohol abuse oftentimes leads to suicide as well.
  The Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act works to address in a proactive 
way this national problem.
  The legislation consists of two parts:
  Part one provides grant funding to States for development of a youth 
suicide prevention and intervention strategy through educational 
systems, juvenile justice systems, local governments and private 
nonprofit entities that are engaged in activities focused on mental 
health. The bill also provides for screening programs for youth that 
can identify mental health and behavioral conditions that place youth 
at risk for suicide. The bill also establishes a Federal Suicide 
Prevention Technical Assistance Center.
  Part 2 of this bill provides grant funding to colleges and 
universities to establish or enhance their mental health outreach and 
treatment centers and enhance their focus on youth suicide prevention 
and intervention.
  The bill authorizes a total of $15 million for fiscal year 2005, 
gradually increasing funding over the next 2 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to just take a minute and discuss the 
genesis of this particular legislation. This bill is named in honor of 
the son of Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon. Garrett Lee was his son and 
took his life last year after several years of struggle with bipolar 
disorder. Senator Smith and his wife, Sharon, are determined to turn 
their private tragedy into something positive. I admire the Smith 
family's courage in speaking publicly about their son, and I hope that 
their efforts will raise awareness and save other young people from the 
same fate. I invite other Members of the House to support this 
important legislation.
  There was a time when suicide was not mentioned. However, only when 
we openly discuss the problem, confront the statistics, and work 
towards solutions such as those proposed by the Garrett Lee Smith 
Memorial Act can we start to prevent these tragedies from happening.

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