After Tartaglione addressed the advocacy group in the Capitol’s Main Rotunda, the Senate unanimously adopted her Suicide Prevention Day resolution
HARRISBURG, PA, October 2, 2018 – State Sen. Christine Tartaglione yesterday called upon Pennsylvanians to take a more proactive approach in preventing suicide, which is a problem that continues to grow statewide, across the nation and around the world.
A short time after Senator Tartaglione provided details of the harrowing problem in her remarks during the Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day in the Capitol’s Main Rotunda, the senate unanimously adopted her resolution recognizing World Suicide Prevention Day in the Commonwealth.
“It’s the tenth-leading cause of death in the United States – more prevalent than liver disease, high blood pressure or murder,” Tartaglione said. “Almost 45,000 Americans took their own lives in 2016. About 2,000 of those deaths occurred in Pennsylvania. Those figures don’t account for the estimated one million suicide attempts that occur each year. Nor do they reveal the immeasurable harm endured by countless survivors: the relatives, friends, coworkers and classmates of those who die by suicide.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the nation’s suicide rate has grown by 30 percent since 1999. In Pennsylvania, the growth has been closer to 35 percent, according to Prevent Suicide PA, which organized yesterday’s observance at the Capitol.
Suicide affects all walks of life, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, education, income or sexuality. Men die by suicide more than three times as often as women, but women attempt suicide three times more than men. Suicide rates are highest for Americans aged 45 and older, but suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those in their teens and early 20s. Suicide rates are exceptionally high for LGBTQ people, those with chronic pain, those on the Autism spectrum, active-duty military and veterans.
“Yet, we don’t discuss suicide nearly enough,” Tartaglione said. “How often in our daily lives do we approach the subject of suicide on a truly personal level? My hope is that World Suicide Prevention Day will inspire more public dialogue and more private, personal conversations about suicide. I hope that we will become more educated about the risk factors and warning signs. I hope that families, friends, coworkers and classmates will learn to recognize when a loved one is in danger. And I hope the many troubled souls who are contemplating suicide will know where to find help and will feel empowered to seek it.”
If you or someone you know may be facing a crisis, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact William Kenny at 215-533-0440 or email at William.Kenny@pasenate.com.
