HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 31
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss and Delegates Leach, Fleischauer,
Marshall, Susman, Hubbard, Compton, Brown, Amores, Anderson,
Angotti, Ashley, Azinger, Beach, Beane, Boggs, Browning, Butcher,
Canterbury, Caputo, Craig, DeLong, Dempsey, Douglas, Doyle,
Ellem, Evans, Fahey, Faircloth, Flanigan, Fletcher, Fox, Givens,
Hatfield, Hrutkay, Keener, Kominar, Leggett, Mahan, Manuel,
Martin, Mathews, McGraw, Morgan, Overington, Paxton, Perdue,
Perry, Pethtel, Pino, Poling, Prunty, Romine, Shaver, Shelton,
Smirl, J. Smith, L. Smith, Stalnaker, Staton, Stemple, Stephens,
R. Thompson, R. M. Thompson, Tucker, Walters, Warner, Webb,
Webster, C. White, G. White, H. White, Williams, Wills, Wright
and Yeager)
[Introduced April 12, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Requesting the Department of Health and Human Resources to make a
study of the state of oral health in West Virginia.
Whereas, There are hundreds of diseases that may be easily
detected at an early stage by a professional oral examination; and
Whereas, More than 30,000 cases of oral cancer are diagnosed in
the United States each year; and
Whereas, Approximately 8,000 people die of oral cancer each
year in the United States; and
Whereas, The primary cause of oral cancer is exposure to
tobacco, whether it is smoked, chewed or stuffed in a cheek pouch;
and
Whereas, The second ranked cause of oral cancer is excessive consumption of alcohol; and
Whereas, A national survey reports that only fourteen percent
of adults aged forty and over have ever had an oral cancer
examination; and
Whereas, Experts insist, as reported in an August 15, 2000, New
York Times article, that relatively few deaths from oral cancer
would occur if dentists and physicians would regularly check their
patients' mouths; therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Delegates:
That the Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for
Public Health, is hereby directed to review, examine and study the
present incidence of oral disease in our population; the type and
number of oral diseases; to what extent the oral health of West
Virginians differs from that of the population of the country as a
whole; to what extent does having a substantially rural population
impact the availability of oral health examinations and treatment;
and the need, if any, for a program to provide and disseminate oral
health information to the public and to provide or promote oral
health examinations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Bureau for Public Health report to
the regular session of the Legislature, 2002, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with any legislation
necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a copy
of this resolution to the commissioner of the Bureau for Public
Health.