U.S. Representatives Norm Dicks, Jennifer Dunn and Jay Inslee, have joined more than 70 other members of Congress as an original co-sponsor of new legislation that could reduce the death rate of the No. 3 killer in Washington State, stroke.

The Stroke Treatment and On-going Prevention Act of 2001 (STOP Stroke Act), will help states ensure that all stroke patients receive quality care as well as provide important resources to increase public awareness of this disease.

Stroke impacts about 600,000 people each year nationally. In Washington, more than 3,700 people died from stroke in 2000 and our state suffers from one of the highest stroke death rates in the nation.

The STOP Stroke Act, which recognizes the importance of early intervention, establishes a national public education campaign about the signs, symptoms and treatment of stroke and a grant program to provide states with funding to help ensure that stroke patients have access to high quality care. It also provides training opportunities for appropriate medical personnel in newly developed approaches for preventing and treating the disease and creates a comprehensive research program to identify best practices, barriers, disparities and measure the effectiveness of public awareness efforts as well.

The warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm and leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness loss of balance or coordination; and, sudden severe headache with no known cause.

For more information about heart disease and stroke, call (800) AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org. The American Stroke Association can be reached at (888) 4-STROKE or www.strokeassociation.org.