HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	105
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

DESIGNATING THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY AS TARDIVE DYSKINESIA AWARENESS WEEK.

     WHEREAS, Tardive Dyskinesia is a serious side effect of antipsychotic medications commonly used to treat schizophrenia and other mental health conditions; and

 

     WHEREAS, Tardive Dyskinesia causes involuntary repetitive movements of the face and limbs that can vary in frequency and amplitude; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in every four patients receiving long-term treatment with an antipsychotic medication will experience Tardive Dyskinesia; and

 

     WHEREAS, Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms do not always show up immediately and may have long-lasting effects even after discontinuing medication; and

 

     WHEREAS, elderly, female, and diabetic individuals are most at risk for developing Tardive Dyskinesia; and

 

     WHEREAS, antipsychotic medication and its effects should be closely monitored by health-care professionals and at-risk individuals should seek regular evaluations to recognize early signs of Tardive Dyskinesia; and

 

     WHEREAS, public education is necessary for identifying signs of Tardive Dyskinesia so that the severity of the side effect may be reduced by reassessing and adjusting medications; and

 

     WHEREAS, over the past three years, 33 states and Washington, D.C. have declared the first week in May as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, that the first full week of May is designated each year as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week in the State of Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education, the Department of Health, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services are encouraged to increase public awareness about the effects of antipsychotic medication and its link to Tardive Dyskinesia; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Education, the Director of Health, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the Governor of the State of Hawaii.

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Tardive Dyskinesia Week