[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 155 (Tuesday, September 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 636--RECOGNIZING SUICIDE AS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH 
  PROBLEM AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER AS 
                 ``NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH''

  Mr. CASSIDY (for himself, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
Reed, and Mr. Donnelly) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education , Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 636

       Whereas suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the 
     United States and the second leading cause of death among 
     individuals between the ages of 10 and 34;
       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), 1 
     person dies by suicide every 12.3 minutes, resulting in 
     nearly 45,000 deaths each year in the United States;
       Whereas, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     20 members of the Armed Forces on active duty, members of the 
     reserve components of the Armed Forces who are not on active 
     duty, or veterans die by suicide each day, resulting in more 
     than 7,000 deaths each year;
       Whereas the suicide rate in the United States has steadily 
     increased every year from 1999 through 2016;
       Whereas it is estimated that there are more than 1,100,000 
     suicide attempts each year in the United States;
       Whereas more than half of individuals who die by suicide 
     did not have a known mental health condition;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, many factors contribute to 
     suicide among individuals with and without known mental 
     health conditions, including challenges related to 
     relationships, substance abuse, physical health, and stress 
     regarding work, money, legal problems, or housing;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, suicide results in an 
     estimated $44,600,000,000 in combined medical and work-loss 
     costs in the United States each year;
       Whereas the stigma associated with mental health conditions 
     and suicidality hinders suicide prevention by discouraging 
     at-risk individuals from seeking life-saving help and further 
     traumatizes survivors of suicide loss and people with lived 
     experience of suicide; and
       Whereas September is an appropriate month to designate as 
     ``National Suicide Prevention Month'' because September 10 is 
     World Suicide Prevention Day, a day recognized 
     internationally and supported by the World Health 
     Organization: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes suicide as a serious and preventable 
     national and State public health problem;
       (2) supports the designation of September as ``National 
     Suicide Prevention Month'';
       (3) declares suicide prevention as a priority;
       (4) acknowledges that no single suicide prevention program 
     or effort will be appropriate for all populations or 
     communities;
       (5) promotes awareness that there is no single cause of 
     suicide; and
       (6) supports strategies to increase access to high-quality 
     mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention 
     services.

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