WHEREAS, Suicide is the 11th leading cause of all deaths in the United States and is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in California; and

WHEREAS, Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24 years in the United States; and

WHEREAS, More people ages 10 to 24 years die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined; and

WHEREAS, In the United States, one person completes suicide every 17 minutes; and

WHEREAS, Suicide can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender, sexuality, or ethnicity; and

WHEREAS, Untreated mental illness is the cause for the vast majority of suicides; and

WHEREAS, The stigma associated with mental illness works against suicide prevention by discouraging persons at risk for suicide from seeking lifesaving help and further traumatizing survivors of suicide; and

WHEREAS, Despite these statistics, suicide has not been adequately addressed and people are not well educated about symptoms of suicide and the ways in which it can be prevented; and

WHEREAS, A great many suicides are preventable and the number of suicides can be reduced through awareness, education, and treatment; and

WHEREAS, There are numerous organizations that work toward providing awareness and help individuals who may suffer from self-destructive behavior, such as suicide; and

WHEREAS, These organizations are dedicated to understanding the roots and dynamics of self-destructive behavior and alleviating the resulting social problems for the purposes of saving and creating more meaningful lives; and

WHEREAS, Providing suicide prevention awareness on a statewide level may help decrease the number of suicide attempts and deaths in California; now, therefore, be it