Title
To declare February 6, 2016 as Wear Red Day in Columbus, and to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death among women
Explanation
WHEREAS, Heart disease is the Number 1 killer of women yet, eighty percent of cardiac events can be prevented; and
WHEREAS, cardiovascular diseases and stroke kill one woman every 80 seconds in the U.S; and
WHEREAS, ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease, yet only one in five American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat; and
WHEREAS, since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease; and
WHEREAS, women are less likely to call 911 for themselves when experiencing symptoms of a heart attack than they are if someone else were having a heart attack; and
WHEREAS, Only 36% of African American women and 34% of Hispanic women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk, compared with 65% of Caucasian women; and
WHEREAS, women involved with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement live healthier lives, nearly ninety percent have made at least one healthy behavior change; and
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council recognizes the importance of the ongoing fight against heart disease and stroke, and does hereby declare February 6, 2016, as Wear Red Day in Columbus.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Council urges Columbus residents to wear red in recognition of family, friends, and neighbors who have suffered from heart disease, and as a show of support for women and cardiovascular health.