WHEREAS, Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability and the third leading cause of death in the United States, killing approximately 145,000 people nationwide and approximately 15,585 people in California each year; and

WHEREAS, The actions for American Stroke Month 2009 are “Know the Stroke Warning Signs and Act in Time,” educate the public and policymakers about the importance of recognizing a stroke and acting quickly during a stroke emergency, promote the program “Together Against Stroke” to reduce stroke in the Latino community, and promote the program “Power to End Stroke” to reduce stroke in African Americans, who are at particularly high risk of stroke, by empowering them to reduce their risk, recognize the warning signs, and respond quickly; and

WHEREAS, Warning signs of stroke include, but are not limited to, sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body, sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, and sudden severe headache with no known cause; and

WHEREAS, Americans are more aware of the risk factors and warning signs for stroke now than they have been in the past, but two in five adults cannot identify any symptoms; and

WHEREAS, New and effective treatments have been developed to treat and minimize the severity and damaging effects of strokes, but more research is needed; now, therefore, be it