Below is the Resolution that was filed in the MA State House to officially recognize World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day in Massachusetts.

When the official parchment copy is ready, it will be read publicly at the House of Representatives Meeting and I believe a notice goes out to all in the House. Once the parchment copy is posted, it will serve as an example for other people to take to their state representatives and get something similar done.

This is probably one of the easiest things someone can ask their State Representative to do. It also is good for those trying to get legislation regarding benzodiazepines passed in their States. This puts it in front of them before a bill is filed and they have time to learn.

Below is a list of states together with their W-BAD representitives. Those with hyperlinks have already had resolutions passed giving official recognition to World Benzodiazeopine Awarness Day. If you would like to represent your state, please contact: Geraldine Burns (gcburns55@aol.com).

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arizona
4. Arkansas
5. California
6. Colorado
7. Connecticut
8. Delaware
9. Florida
10. Georgia
11. Hawaii
12. Idaho
13. Illinois
14. Indiana
15. Iowa
16. Kansas
17. Kentucky
18. Louisiana
19. Maine
20. Maryland
21. Massachusetts (W-BAD Rep: Geraldine Burns)
22. Michigan
23. Minnesota
24. Mississippi
25. Missouri
26. Montana
27. Nebraska
28. Nevada
29. New Hampshire
30. New Jersey
31. New Mexico
32. New York
33. North Carolina
34. North Dakota
35. Ohio
36. Oklahoma
37. Oregon
38. Pennsylvania
39. Rhode Island
40. South Carolina
41. South Dakota
42. Tennessee
43. Texas
44. Utah
45. Vermont
46. Virginia
47. Washington
48. West Virginia
49. Wisconsin
50. Wyoming

Click here to easily find your state rep: http://openstates.org

ACKNOWLEDEMENT OF WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY

WHEREAS, THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY IS ON JULY 11, 2016; AND

WHEREAS, THE DATE OF JULY 11TH WAS CHOSEN TO HONOR THE BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR HEATHER ASHTON OF NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY FOR HER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO SAFE WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES, AND;
 
WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE VICTIMS OF IRRESPONSIBLE PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AS A MEANS TO UNIFY, AND;  

WHEREAS, THE BENZODIAZEPINE VICTIM COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR CONSISTENT REGULATIONS AND SAFE PRACTICE METHODS FOR PRESCRIBING BENZODIAZEPINES; AND 

WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY SETS OUT TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES; THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE FORWARDED BY THE CLERK OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO EDWIN LORENZANA

Copy the above and send it to your state representatives asking for them to officially recognize World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day on July 11th. (Alternatively, once the MA parchment paper image is ready, you can download this and send it.)

Link to easily find your state rep:

http://openstates.org

Below are 2 sample letters.

Information contained in brackets (red font) identifying information specific to any given state, or personalized information, should be removed or replaced accordingly, so that it is applicable to your own state / situation.

Hello Representative (add your reps name),

I am grateful to be in your district and to continue to be represented by you. I want to ask you to file a resolution recognizing World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day on July 11 of each year. Like thousands of others, I was completely mentally and physically disabled after taking a benzodiazepine as prescribed by my doctor.

(Utah is one of the highest if not the highest consumer per capita of benzodiazepines and z drugs.) I have dedicated myself to raising awareness about terrible suffering these can cause when taken as prescribed. Many members of my own community have approached me and shared with me their own heart breaking experiences with this class of drugs and the lack of informed consent buy their GP or psychiatrist.

Please help me to save others from this completely preventable tragedy. Permit me to provide you with an example of a resolution that is being filed in Massachusetts:

ACKNOWLEDEMENT OF WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY

WHEREAS, THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY IS ON JULY 11, 2016; AND

WHEREAS, THE DATE OF JULY 11TH WAS CHOSEN TO HONOR THE BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR HEATHER ASHTON OF NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY FOR HER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO SAFE WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES, AND;
 
WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE VICTIMS OF IRRESPONSIBLE PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AS A MEANS TO UNIFY, AND;  

WHEREAS, THE BENZODIAZEPINE VICTIM COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR CONSISTENT REGULATIONS AND SAFE PRACTICE METHODS FOR PRESCRIBING BENZODIAZEPINES; AND 

WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY SETS OUT TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES; THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE FORWARDED BY THE CLERK OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO EDWIN LORENZANA

Here is a link to some videos made by benzodiazepine disabled people to help raise awareness about W-BAD.

The W-BAD Promo Video 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1FrgpK7qUI

Other videos can be seen on the W-BAD Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEGYpppRPuaKg1uuSJHAbg

Thank you for all your efforts.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

(Location)

Dear (add your reps name),

I want to first thank you for the service that you provide. I don't think anyone can truly understand how much effort and sacrifice it takes to be in public service.

I am writing to you to request that you file a resolution recognizing World Benzo Awareness Day (W-BAD). What is W-BAD? It is a worldwide effort to raise awareness to the damaging effects of benzodiazepines. If you are not already familiar with this class of medication by that name, you would recognize it by some of the more commonly prescribed name brands including Xanax, Valium, Klonopin and Ativan.

Long-term use is contraindicated, yet prescriptions continue to be written for benzodiazepines for many months and even years (with Utah being one of the highest, if not the highest, consumer per capita). Benzodiazepines are being doled out without patients understanding the risks and side effects of taking these drugs.

I have been deeply affected by the horrendous effects of benzodiazepines. (My husband was prescribed Xanax when he was 17 years old for anxiety and he has ALWAYS taken them only as directed. He was told that he would likely have to take them for the rest of his life. However, neither he nor his parents (he was a minor at the time) were ever warned about the risks associated with their use. He is now 31 years old and has never been worse. He cannot work, leave the house, and many days cannot get out of bed. He is still currently taking a benzodiazepine as prescribed and is struggling to taper safely off under the direction of his current medical provider. This treatment has proven to be painful and highly destructive in every aspect our lives. It has been and still is a very devastating road to walk down that we would not wish upon others. We have personally seen firsthand the heavy side effects and extreme worsening of the original symptoms due to his long term use.)

As an active member of several online support communities, I have learned that our story is one of many. Too many if you ask me. Patients deserve the right to know the true risks and costs associated with the treatments that their doctors are suggesting so that they can make an informed decision about their own health and welfare.

Please help me to save others from this completely preventable tragedy. Permit me to provide you with an example of a resolution that is being filed in Massachusetts for WBAD:

ACKNOWLEDEMENT OF WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY

WHEREAS, THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY IS ON JULY 11, 2016; AND

WHEREAS, THE DATE OF JULY 11TH WAS CHOSEN TO HONOR THE BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR HEATHER ASHTON OF NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY FOR HER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO SAFE WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES, AND;
 
WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE VICTIMS OF IRRESPONSIBLE PRESCRIBING PRACTICES AS A MEANS TO UNIFY, AND;  

WHEREAS, THE BENZODIAZEPINE VICTIM COMMUNITY HAS ASKED FOR CONSISTENT REGULATIONS AND SAFE PRACTICE METHODS FOR PRESCRIBING BENZODIAZEPINES; AND 

WHEREAS, WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY SETS OUT TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA SURROUNDING WITHDRAWAL FROM BENZODIAZEPINES; THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACKNOWLEDGE THE FIRST ANNUAL WORLD BENZODIAZEPINE AWARENESS DAY; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THESE RESOLUTIONS BE FORWARDED BY THE CLERK OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO EDWIN LORENZANA

Here is a link to some videos made by benzo disabled to help raise awareness about WBAD. (I am featured in the second video.)

https://youtu.be/ZN7Ck4yzl4g

https://youtu.be/y1FrgpK7qUI

Other videos can be seen on the W-BAD Video Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEGYpppRPuaKg1uuSJHAbg

(Add your reps name with appropriate title), I am pleading with you to hear these voices. Please take time to learn more about this.

Thank you for your time!

(Your name)

(City, State or location)