NEWS: March Established as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Alaska.

Senate Bill 46 raises awareness about the prevalence of brain injuries and highlight how to prevent these injuries.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2024

Media Contacts
Mackenzie Pope
Staff to Sen. Löki Gale Tobin
Mackenzie.Pope@akleg.gov

Juneau, AK - On April 23, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy signed a bill into law to proclaim every March as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Alaska. Senate Bill 46 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 36-1 and passed the State Senate by a vote of 19-0. Sen. Löki Gale Tobin (D-Anchorage) sponsored SB 46 to raise awareness about the prevalence of brain injuries and highlight how to prevent these injuries.

“In Alaska, we ride snowmachines and we ride ATVs. We ski, we bike, and we play hockey. We do a lot of things where people can hit their heads. All too often, what results is a brain injury. I am hopeful that each March when Brain Injury Awareness Month rolls around, attention will be focused on how to prevent brain injuries, which often go undiagnosed and untreated. By wearing helmets, using seatbelts, and being careful Alaskans can reduce the number and severity of brain injuries, which is a good thing to work toward,” said Sen. Tobin, an avid biker.

Many brain injuries are never diagnosed, which makes it nearly impossible to know how many people live with brain injuries; however, the Brain Injury Association of America estimates that 12 percent of the population has experienced at least one brain injury. The Association believes that every 9 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury, and it’s estimated that around 800 Alaskans will be hospitalized this year due to a brain injury.

“Every crack to the head playing sports or recreating could result in a brain injury so it is good public policy to try and prevent those things from happening in the first place. That’s why raising awareness about brain injuries is so important and why I enthusiastically support March being permanently designated as Brain Injury Awareness Month in Alaska,” said Sen. Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks).

The passage of SB 46 comes on the heels of yearly designations of March as Brain Injury Awareness Month through the passage of House Resolution 10 in March 2022 and House Resolution 7 in March 2021. Former State Representative Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) sponsored both resolutions.