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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 193 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 193

        Expressing support for National Facial Protection Month.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2009

Mrs. McCarthy of New York submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
        Expressing support for National Facial Protection Month.

Whereas 5,000,000 teeth are knocked out each year during sports activities;
Whereas an athlete participating in contact sports has a 10 percent chance of 
        sustaining a significant oral-facial injury each season;
Whereas studies indicate that approximately one third of all dental injuries and 
        approximately 19 percent of head and face injuries are sports-related;
Whereas an athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when 
        not wearing a protective mouth guard;
Whereas emerging evidence supports that youth athletes wearing full facial 
        protection during baseball, softball, hockey, and lacrosse can 
        significantly reduce their risk of oral-facial trauma;
Whereas the Task Force on Community Preventive Services found that there is 
        insufficient evidence, due to a lack of available research data, to 
        support intervention programs to encourage the use of helmets, 
        facemasks, and mouth guards to reduce oral-facial trauma in contact 
        sports;
Whereas the Task Force on Community Preventive Services has recommended 
        additional research on the effectiveness of intervention programs to 
        encourage the use of helmets, facemasks, and mouth guards; and
Whereas April would be an appropriate month to designate as ``National Facial 
        Protection Month'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for National Facial Protection Month;
            (2) declares it is critical--
                    (A) to raise awareness about the importance of 
                using proper dental and facial protection during 
                sporting activities; and
                    (B) to conduct additional research to study the 
                effectiveness of intervention programs to encourage use 
                of helmets, facemasks, and mouth guards;
            (3) calls on sports health care professionals, parents, and 
        coaches to--
                    (A) educate athletes about the importance of 
                protective equipment and encourage the use of all 
                protective devices to ensure the athlete's safety; and
                    (B) recommend using protective equipment that meets 
                the standards of the National Operating Committee on 
                Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) and is 
                clearly identified as being in compliance; and
            (4) requests the President to issue a proclamation calling 
        upon the people of the United States to observe National Facial 
        Protection Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>
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