Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 101 Part 3.djvu/774

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PUBLIC LAW 100-000—MMMM. DD, 1987

101 STAT. 2072

PROCLAMATION 5605—FEB. 2, 1987

the medical community about the most effective techniques to treat the disease. Medical advances such as new surgical techniques to repair heart defects, improved pharmacological therapies, emergency systems to prevent death, and knowledge to prevent heart disease from occurring have significantly reduced premature death and disability due to cardiovascular disease and stroke. From 1972 to 1984, the death rate has dropped 32.5 percent. Cardiologists and other health professionals are seeking to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) by encouraging Americans to control high blood pressure, stop smoking, and reduce the amount of cholesterol, saturated fats, and sodium in their diets. The American Heart Association, working with two million volunteers, has contributed to this effort through its support of research and its commitment to educating Americans about the need to adopt a sound regimen of proper diet and exercise. The Federal government, for its part, supports a wide array of cardiovascular research projects and encourages our people to reduce the risks of heart disease by maintaining good health habits. Recognizing that Americans everywhere have a role to play in this continuing battle against a major killer, the Congress, by Joint Resolution approved December 30, 1963 \J7 Stat. 843; 36 U.S.C. 169b), has requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of February 1987 as American Heart Month. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join me in reaffirming our commitment to combatting cardiovascular diseases. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh. RONALD REAGAN

Proclamation 5605 of February 2, 1987

National Poison Prevention Week, 1987 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Accidental poisonings, in which children swallow medicines or household chemicals, continue to be a tragic public health problem in our country. Since the first National Poison Prevention Week, in 1962, our Nation's yearly death toll has dropped by more than 80 percent. But even as we rejoice in this progress, we resolve to redouble our efforts to reduce the number and severity of childhood poisonings.