Title: American Stroke Month

Summary: Recognizing May 2014 as "American Stroke Month" in Florida, etc.

Full Text:
WHEREAS, stroke is also a leading cause of serious long term disability in the United States, with more than 1.1 million adults experiencing functional limitations or difficulty with activities of daily living resulting from stroke, and WHEREAS, on the average, a stroke occurs every seconds and takes a life every minutes in the United States, and WHEREAS, this year, the estimated direct and indirect costs of stroke in the United States will be more than $73.7 billion, and WHEREAS, many Americans are unaware of their risk factors for a stroke and of the signs and symptoms of an impending stroke, and WHEREAS, statistics show that African Americans have almost twice the risk of a first stroke compared to Caucasians, in part because of their increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, and WHEREAS, the American Stroke Association s  Together to End Stroke  initiative, which begins on May with the American Stroke  Day of Action  and continues year-round, encourages Americans to learn their personal stroke risk, memorize and share the stroke warning signs, and call at the first sign of a stroke, and WHEREAS, new and effective treatments have been developed to treat and minimize the severity and damaging effects of strokes, but much more research is needed, NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: That May 2014 is recognized as  American Stroke Month  in Florida and that all residents of this state are urged to familiarize themselves with the risk factors associated with stroke and the warning signs and symptoms of stroke and, at the first sign of a stroke, to dial so that we might begin to reduce the devastating effects of stroke on our population, so that Floridians may live stronger, healthier lives.