WHEREAS, suicide is the 11th leading cause of all deaths in the United States and the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 15 and 34; and
WHEREAS, in Nevada, suicide is now the 6th leading cause of all deaths and the 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated there are 4.47 million survivors of suicide—people who have lost a loved one to suicide—in the United States; and
WHEREAS, erasing the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide will encourage persons at risk for suicide to seek life-saving help; and
WHEREAS, by adopting the statewide suicide prevention efforts outlined in the recently published Nevada Suicide Prevention Plan, a great many future suicide attempts may be prevented; and
WHEREAS, the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention continues to coordinate the collaborative development and implementation of evidence based suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies and programs in the State of Nevada; and
WHEREAS, the Nevada Coalition for Suicide Prevention will sponsor the statewide “Walk in Memory, Walk for Hope” event on September 13th, 2008, to remember those individuals we have lost to suicide and to call greater attention to the state’s suicide prevention efforts;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM GIBBONS, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, hereby proclaim September 8th through 14th, 2008, as
SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK
