WHEREAS, California recognizes suicide as a public health problem and suicide prevention as a statewide responsibility; and

WHEREAS, Designating the second week of September as “Suicide Prevention Week in California” would overlap with World Suicide Prevention Day, which occurs on September 10, 2018, and is recognized internationally and supported by the World Health Organization; and

WHEREAS, Suicide is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in the United States and the 44th leading cause of all deaths in California; and

WHEREAS, On average, 105 people commit suicide every day in the United States, which equals approximately one person every 14.2 minutes; and

WHEREAS, In the United States, rates of suicide are highest among people from 45 to 54 years of age, and rates of suicide among youth who are from 15 to 24 years of age, have increased more than 200 percent in the last 50 years; and

WHEREAS, Each day, an estimated 22 veterans in the United States commit suicide, which equals approximately one veteran every 65 minutes; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that there are 4.78 million people in the United States, known as survivors of suicide, who have lost a loved one to suicide; and

WHEREAS, A great many suicides are preventable; and

WHEREAS, Most suicidal people display warning signals of their intentions; however, others are often unaware of these signals or unsure what to do about them; and

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

WHEREAS, The State of California established the State Department of Health Care Services-Suicide Prevention Program (SPP), published the California Strategic Plan on Suicide Prevention in 2008, and has supported multiple statewide and local projects launched under the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63); and

WHEREAS, The State of California recognizes the efforts of organizations such as the American Association of Suicidology that are dedicated to reducing the frequency of suicide attempts and deaths and the pain of survivors of suicide through educational programs, research programs, intervention services, and bereavement services; and

WHEREAS, Suicide Prevention Week in California is a time to acknowledge the tragic loss of individuals who have committed suicide and to commemorate the actions of organizations and individuals working to prevent suicide and raise awareness of suicide as a public health issue; now, therefore, be it