Use Gun Locks/Safes to Prevent Suicide

There is NOTHING more tragic than suicide, especially when suicide is committed by someone who is young. (The recent suicide of 10-year-old Izzy Tichenor is a prime example.)

Michael J. Staley, Utah's Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the Medical Examiner's Office, spoke in HHS yesterday. This is what I learned from his report:

- The youth suicide rate in UT has leveled off since 2015, but it is still unacceptably high with about 4 out of every 100,000 youth ages 10-17 committing suicide. That's about 38 youth/year in Utah. (The Intermountain West has a higher than average youth suicide rate.)

- 48% of youth suicides are committed with firearms. These are preventable. USE GUN LOCKS AND GUN SAFES TO PREVENT ACCESS TO FIREARMS, or store them outside of the home, if youth live with you. Suicidal thoughts can be fleeting, so whatever you can do to prevent access could save lives.

- 135 people are directly impacted by every suicide death. 91% of Utahns have been directly impacted by suicide.

- Suicide is an epidemic, but HOPE is also an epidemic. We have more tools than ever to address suicide, including the app "SafeUT" (every youth should have it downloaded to his/her phone, because they can text with a counselor, report bullying, threats of violence, etc.) and the web site liveonutah.org.

- UT is pioneering suicide prevention and research. Our youth suicide study is the largest in the nation. The addition of a PhD suicide prevention coordinator to our state medical examiner's office just a year ago (by legislation) has already illuminated many aspects of this very important issue. He conducts "psychological autopsies" to explore all of the factors that may have led to tragic outcomes. He studies all suicides, not only youth suicides. It's fascinating, important, somber, but hopeful work!