HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 90
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegates Fleischauer, Craig,
Beach, Douglas, Marshall, Hrutkay, Fragale, Compton, Kominar,
Perdue and Leach)
[Introduced April 13, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance 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 Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby
requested 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 Joint Committee on Government and
Finance 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 expenses necessary to conduct this
study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on
Government and Finance.