HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24
(By Delegate Givens)



Recognizing and declaring the month of October, 1999, as Agent Orange/Dioxin Awareness Month.
Whereas, In the history of our country there have been times of great trauma and disturbances in our society, the Vietnam War being such a period; and
Whereas, Many veterans of this great State of West Virginia honored this country by serving valiantly in the Vietnam War and those courageous veterans were exposed to agent orange, an herbicide the United States used during the Vietnam War "1961- 1975" to defoliate the dense jungles and destroy crops. Agent orange, considered one of the most toxic substances ever made, is an herbicide that includes artificial plant hormones and the extremely dangerous chemical dioxin; and
Whereas, During the application of agent orange, code name "Operation Ranch Hand" over 2.4 million Americans were exposed to this toxic herbicide with severe exposure by those responsible for handling the application of the herbicide; and
Whereas, The continued adverse health effects of those exposures have been demonstrated in a Veterans Administration Mortality Study that shows correlations between agent orange/dioxin in exposure and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer, lung cancer and chlorance; and
Whereas, In light of the link between agent orange/dioxin and cancer in those exposed to it, and since October has been designated nationally as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it logically follows that October should be the month to raise awareness of the effects of exposure to agent orange/dioxin; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That on behalf of all of West Virginia's veterans the Governor is urged to declare and recognize the month of October, 1999, as "Agent Orange/Dioxin Awareness Month"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House is hereby directed to furnish a copy of this resolution to the Governor.