Office of the Mayor
Proclamation
Lawrence, Kansas
WHEREAS: In the United States, one person dies by suicide every 15 minutes; and
WHEREAS: The rate of deaths by suicide in Kansas is even higher than the national rate, with suicide being the second leading cause of death for Kansans between the ages of 15 and 24 and the eleventh leading cause of all deaths in the state of Kansas, with a total of 350 Kansans lost to suicide during 2008; and
WHEREAS: In each recent year between ten and twenty people in Douglas County died by suicide, leaving friends and families forever changed by their deaths; and
WHEREAS: Many of those people who died never received effective mental health services, for many reasons including limited access to treatment, the stigma associated with using mental health treatment and the stigma associated with losing a loved one to suicide; and
WHEREAS: Local businesses and organizations such as Peoples Bank, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Headquarters Counseling Center, Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, Douglas County CHIP, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire and Medical, Lawrence Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriff's Department encourage local initiatives to reduce the frequency of suicide attempts and deaths based on the goals contained in the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention; and
WHEREAS: Most deaths from suicide are preventable when community members as well as physical and mental health care providers know how to help and provide help when it’s needed
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mike Amyx, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the week of September 5-11, 2010 as
Mike Amyx, Mayor
September 7, 2010