AK HCR21

Urges Governor Bill Walker to work with the Alaska State Legislature to establish statewide policy and programs addressing adverse childhood experiences as a public and behavioral health epidemic.

More than two-thirds of Alaska adults report experiencing adverse childhood experiences at rates higher than other states, with Alaska Natives experiencing them at up to twice the rate of non-Natives.

Adverse childhood experiences include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and incarceration, with documented links to poor adult health outcomes.

Estimates the direct and indirect cost to Alaska of adverse childhood experiences in six categories (adult Medicaid, current smoking, diabetes, binge drinking, arthritis, and obesity) at approximately $774,000,000 annually.

Calls on state policy decisions to incorporate early childhood brain development principles and emphasize early intervention and investment as more effective and cost-efficient strategies than addressing problems later in life.