PROCLAMATION - PDF Document

PROCLAMATION 5697—SEPT. 8, 1987. 101 STAT. 2185. others have made much progress on a voluntary basis. These efforts to en- hance the welfare and safety of our citizens deserve public recognition and every commendation.

Uploaded on May 10, 2020 | 3 Views

• Margaret H Lyle

• proclamation
• ber 19
• proclamation 5697
• proclamation 5698
• mentally ill citizens
• mental illness awareness week

Presentation Transcript

1. PROCLAMATION 5697—SEPT. 8, 1987 101 STAT. 2185 others have made much progress on a voluntary basis. These efforts to en- hance the welfare and safety of our citizens deserve public recognition and every commendation. The Congress, by Public Law 99-448, has designated September 11, 1987, as "9-1-1 Emergency Number Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this occasion. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 1987, as 9-1-1 Emergency Number Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5697 of September 8,1987 National Reye's Syndrome Week, 1987 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Reye's Syndrome is a deadly disease that can strike a child or teenager during recovery from a relatively innocuous viral illness—from the flu, for example, or from chicken pox. Suddenly, instead of continuing to gain strength and health, the child becomes lethargic or disoriented, unusually excitable, hyperactive, irritable, or even combative. A frequent symptom is uncontrollable vomiting, and violent headaches and delirium may occur. Tragically, 30 percent of the victims of Reye's Syndrome die; another 15 to 25 percent are left with brain damage. Any child can develop Reye's Syndrome, but research strongly indicates that children given aspirin as treatment for the flu or chicken pox may be particularly vulnerable. To protect their children, parents must learn to "think Reye's": do not use aspirin to treat children with chicken pox or in- fluenza-like illness; do recognize the early symptoms of Reye's Syndrome; and do seek medical attention for a child immediately at the first sign of those symptoms. Over the past several years, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the National Reye's Syndrome Foundation, the American Reye's Syndrome Foundation, and other professional and voluntary health agencies have alerted American families to the dangers of Reye's Syn- drome. They have stressed the need to avoid the use of aspirin to treat flu- like illness and chicken pox. The result has been a marked decline in the annual incidence of the disorder. According to a report published last year, the average annual incidence of Reye's Syndrome from 1981 to 1984 was lower than that of the previous five years, with the decrease identified among children younger than 10 years of age. The incidence in 1985 was

2. 101 STAT. 2186 PROCLAMATION 5698—SEPT. 8, 1987 much lower than during any previous year since surveillance of Reye's Syn- drome was initiated in the 1970's, '^ < All Americans welcome such encouraging news. We look for further ad- vances to come from the scientific studies of Reye's Syndrome being sup- ported by the Federal government's National Institute of Allergy and Infec- tious Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and Centers for Disease Control. To enhance public awareness of Reye's Syndrome, the Congress, by House Joint Resolution 335, has designated the week of September 13 through Sep- tember 19, 1987, as "National Reye's Syndrome Week" and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of that week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of September 13 through Septem- ber 19, 1987, as National Reye's Syndrome Week, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe that week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth. '•'•-'^''- RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5698 of September 8,1987 ' ^' ' Mental Illness Awareness Week, 1987 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Mental illnesses afflict the rich and the poor, the young and the old. They respect neither race nor gender, robbing millions of Americans of full, pro- ductive, and happy lives. Millions more—relatives, friends, and co-work- ers—share the pain. This pain is all the more regrettable because much of it is needless. Stigma, rooted in fear and ignorance, keeps many mentally ill citizens from getting the help they need. Adults in the prime of life are incapacitated by symp- toms that could be prevented or ameliorated with appropriate treatments. Children, our most important resource for the future, are unable to reach their full potential because early symptoms are ignored and manifestations like alcohol and drug abuse often go unrecognized. Elderly citizens, the fastest growing segment of our population, are prematurely relegated to long-term care facilities due to improper diagnosis and lack of treatment. The costs of inappropriate or inadequate response to mental illness are enormous. Economic losses alone can be measured in the billions of dol- lars, but the cost in human suffering is incalculable. Untreated mentally ill adults cannot work, ignored mentally ill children cannot learn, and misdiag- nosed older citizens cannot contribute. Worst of all, young and old, bereft of hope, sometimes take their lives. Appropriate treatments can relieve suf- .