WHEREAS, Suicide is a serious and tragic public health problem that is growing in the United States that can be prevented through increased awareness, resources, and proper treatment; and

WHEREAS, Suicide affects all Americans, but data shows that our construction industry personnel, many of whom are also veterans seeking an opportunity to leverage their military construction skills, in California and the nation die by suicide at much higher rates than other populations; and

WHEREAS, According to a recent study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rate among working-age males, notably those between 16 and 64 years of age, increased 34 percent during the 2000 to 2016, inclusive, timeframe, and that the occupational group with the highest male suicide rate is construction and extraction; and

WHEREAS, The CDC recommends fostering social connections and economic supports, thereby improving access to appropriate mental health and other resources and services, and encouraging at-risk individuals to seek mental health treatment, if necessary, without the stigma that sometimes goes along with it, to possibly decrease the number of suicides; and

WHEREAS, The construction industry continues to seek better information about the root causes of the industry’s too high suicide rates; and

WHEREAS, This resolution endeavors to promote awareness of the problem of suicide and the particular epidemic facing the men and women within California’s construction industry populations and encourages our communities and the people of the State of California to work together to continue to educate the public on how to recognize the warning signs and improve the outreach to, and treatment of, these individuals at risk for suicide; now, therefore, be it