The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Stridently Opposes Section 4 of HB 1241

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American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Feb 03, 2015, 08:00 ET

BISMARCK, N.D., Feb. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each year in the United States, suicide claims nearly 40,000 lives – more than war, murder, and natural disasters combined. On average, one person dies by suicide every three days in North Dakota. On Tuesday, February 3, 2015, volunteers from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the largest suicide prevention organization in the United States, will descend on the state capitol in Bismarck to have meetings with lawmakers advocating against section 4 of HB 1241 – which would prohibit healthcare providers from asking their patients about access to a gun.

Suicide in North Dakota
Suicide is the leading cause of death for people ages 15-24 in North Dakota, and the second leading cause of death for people aged 25-44. Suicide cost North Dakota a total of $140,345,000 of combined lifetime medical and work loss cost in 2010, or an average of $1,324,010 per suicide death. Suicides outnumber homicides almost 10 to 1.

Firearms are by far the most common method of suicide, accounting for more suicides than all other methods combined. In 2013, suicides accounted for 88 percent of gun deaths in North Dakota.

"By reducing a suicidal person's access to lethal means we give them something they desperately need: time – time to reach out for help and time for someone to intervene with mental health support and resources," said Nicole Gibson, senior manager of state advocacy for AFSP. "Gag orders on medical personnel to inquire about firearm access put patient lives at increased risk. Lives are saved when suicide prevention is incorporated as a basic tenet of firearm safety and responsible gun ownership."

We must empower healthcare professionals to include lethal means access, including access to firearms, in their assessment of potentially suicidal patients. Instead of outlawing these conversations, when a patient is at risk of suicide and there is access to a firearm in the home, healthcare professionals should discuss with the patient and their family voluntary strategies to temporarily store household firearms away from the home or otherwise inaccessibly until the patient recovers.

The ND Department of Health, Division of Injury Prevention and Control houses the statewide Suicide Prevention Program. The statewide Suicide Prevention Program continues to focus on education of warning signs and symptoms of suicide and how to get help for people who may be suicidal, developing a systems approach to suicide prevention within organizations, and affecting suicide prevention policy. A collaboration team with representation from the ND Department of Health, the ND Department of Human Services, the ND National Guard, and the ND Indian Affairs Commission has been developed to look more in-depth at specific suicide prevention issues across the state.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention leads the fight against suicide. We fund research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, AFSP has 75 local chapters with programs and events nationwide. Review our Annual Report to learn more about AFSP's life-saving work, and join the national conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.