[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                            STOP STROKE ACT

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                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2001

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, the United States spends over $30 billion 
each year in caring for persons who have suffered from strokes. Stroke 
is the third leading cause of death in this country, claiming the life 
of an individual every three and a half minutes. Today, Congresswoman 
Capps and I are introducing a bill that will help to educate the public 
on the symptoms of stroke and the importance of rapid treatment.
  My home state of Mississippi is ranked seventh in leading the nation 
in stroke deaths. The STOP Stroke Act will provide the necessary tools 
to help hundreds of thousands of Americans make the right choice in 
seeking medical help with the onset of a stroke. We know that it is 
important that treatment be administered as quickly as possible after a 
stroke, yet fewer than three percent of patients receive clot-
dissolving drugs that are necessary to improve the patient's recovery.
  It is important that we take the steps that are required to educate 
the American public about the symptoms and treatments of strokes. We 
must work to pass the Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention (STOP 
Stroke) Act to ensure that we save lives and improve the quality of 
medical treatment to stroke victims.

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