HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-11 - Suicide Prevention Awareness Week 2023Proclamation
Suicide Prevention Awareness Week
September 10-16, 2023
WHEREAS, the Palo Alto City Council recognizes death by suicide as a public health
problem and suicide prevention as a community responsibility; and
WHEREAS, suicide prevention efforts should be developed and encouraged to the maximum
extent possible; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the
second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, with more than
48,000 people dying by suicide annually in the United States; and
WHEREAS, as of May 2023, every city in Santa Clara County has formally adopted a city
suicide prevention policy, increasing collaborative efforts with the County’s Suicide Prevention
Program and helping to bring awareness to this important issue and save lives; and
WHEREAS, locally we have many resources, including Project Safety Net, established in
2009; it is a collaborative community network held together by a common interest of fostering youth
well-being in Palo Alto; and
WHEREAS, Project Safety Net coalition partners are collectively dedicated to reducing the
frequency of suicide attempts and the pain of survivors by promoting and providing mental health
services, outreach and education, policy advocacy, and program evaluation; and
WHEREAS, while the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recognizes the entire
month of September as National Suicide Prevention Month, September 10th is officially World
Suicide Prevention Day, established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention
in conjunction with the World Health Organization.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Lydia Kou, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, on behalf of the entire
City Council, do hereby proclaim the week of September 10-16, 2023 as Suicide Prevention
Awareness Week.
Presented: September 11, 2023
______________________________
Lydia Kou
Mayor