HR0595 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0595 LRB100 14122 ALS 28878 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, World Suicide Prevention Day was first recognized in 2003 as an initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention and endorsed by the World Health Organization, to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides; various activities take place around the world on this day; World Suicide Prevention Day takes place each year on September 10; and

WHEREAS, The International Association for Suicide Prevention reports that every year more than 800,000 people die by suicide, and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt; on average, one person in Illinois dies by suicide every six hours, and in this State, nearly twice as many people die by suicide than by homicide, as reported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; behind these statistics are the individual stories of those who have, for many different reasons, questioned the value of their own lives; and

WHEREAS, There is no single cause for suicide; the warning signs of suicide include a change in behavior or the presence of entirely new behaviors; if the new or changed behavior is related to a painful event, loss, or change, it is of utmost concern; and

WHEREAS, Regardless of a person's circumstances, communities have an important role to play in supporting those who are vulnerable; that sentiment is reflected in the 2017 World Suicide Prevention Day theme, "Take a minute, change a life"; as members of communities, it is our responsibility to look out for those who may be struggling, check in with them, and encourage them to tell their stories; broaching the topic of suicide is difficult, but taking a minute to reach out to someone can change the course of a life; and

WHEREAS, People who have lived through a suicide attempt have much to teach about how the words and actions of others are important; almost universally, they say that if someone had taken a minute, the trajectory that they were on could have been interrupted; and

WHEREAS, World Suicide Prevention Day is a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to achieve the common goal of preventing suicide; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate September 10, 2017 as World Suicide Prevention Day in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage communities throughout the State to take a minute to change a life and promote suicide prevention across the State of Illinois.