DELAWARE STATE SENATE

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 22

RECOGNIZING MARCH 2019 AS BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH IN DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, brain injuries are a serious public health concern due to their devastating initial and long term impacts on the patient, their families, and community; and

WHEREAS, a brain injury occurs in the United States every nine seconds due to falls, vehicular crashes or incidents, assault, or sporting activity, meaning that more than 3.5 million children and adults sustain such an injury each year; and according to the National Institutes of Health, by the year 2020, it will surpass many diseases as the major cause of death and disability; and

WHEREAS, 153 people in the United States die every day (over 50,000 per year) due to traumatic brain and related injuries, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention informs us that traumatic Brain injuries contribute to about 30% of all injury deaths; and

WHEREAS, according to the Delaware Trauma System Registry, 1,397 Delawareans were hospitalized in 2016 and 1,170 were hospitalized in 2017 with a traumatic brain injury; and

WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has tracked 1 of every 60 people in the United States (more than 5.3 million Americans) who live with a traumatic brain injury related disability, and the consequences of severe traumatic brain injury impacts their relationships with family and friends, their ability to be employed, and their ability to participate in activities of daily living such as household tasks, or driving; and

WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention calculates that acute care and rehabilitation of brain injury patients in the United States costs about $9 billion to $10 billion per year, not including indirect and additional costs such as lost earnings, work time, and productivity; and social service costs of up to $1.8 million per survivor of severe traumatic brain injury over their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, Delaware is not among the 26 states that have a traumatic brain injury registry or a State Head Injury Coordinator to collect and analyze data that could be utilized to expand traumatic brain injury services, provide public education to promote the prevention of injuries, and provide additional information on contributing factors for traumatic brain injuries and disabilities that affect our communities; and

WHEREAS, it is vital for all Delawareans to familiarize themselves with the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury and to learn how to recognize and respond to concussions; and

WHEREAS, Delawareans can help prevent brain injuries by using appropriate safety equipment such as helmets and seatbelts, preventing falls, cushioning playgrounds, teaching safe play, and avoiding risky behaviors.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 150 ^th General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that March 2019, is recognized as Brain Injury Awareness Month.

SYNOPSIS

This Concurrent Resolution recognizes March 2019 as Brain Injury Awareness Month.

Author: Senator Poore