The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Visit Ohio Lawmakers to Urge them to Pass House Bill 28

News provided by

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Mar 24, 2015, 11:46 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Each year in the United States, suicide claims over 40,000 lives – more than war, murder, and natural disasters combined. On average, one person dies by suicide every six hours in Ohio. On Tuesday, March 24, 2015, volunteers from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the largest suicide prevention organization in the United States, will arrive at the state capitol to have meetings with lawmakers to encourage them to pass Ohio House Bill 28.

Sponsored by Representative Marlene Anielski, HB 28 would require each state college to tell their students and staff of suicide prevention programs available to them. If enacted, schools would have to improve their transparency including being obligated to communicate with students about suicide prevention and support students after a suicide loss.

"Suicide is not just a faceless health issue for our society - it affects real people. We hope that by meeting the people who have been personally affected by suicide in the state of Ohio, lawmakers will realize suicide prevention should be a priority for Ohio state lawmakers," said Nicole Gibson, senior manager of state advocacy for AFSP. "This effort is especially important right now as suicide is the second leading cause of death for college-age young adults (ages 18-24) nationally and the third leading cause of death for this age group in the state of Ohio."

Thanks to Rep. Anielski who first introduced the Jason Flatt Act in 2012 suicide prevention training is now required for certain school personnel who work with students in grades K-12. She has now sponsored HB 28 in the hopes that Ohio can expand its focus to preventing suicide among college and university students. Representative Anielski will be speaking to the AFSP volunteers before their meetings with other lawmakers.

Suicide in Ohio
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 25-34 in Ohio, and the third leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. Suicide cost Ohio a total of $1,736,643,000 of combined lifetime medical and work loss cost in 2010, or an average of $1,206,840 per suicide death. Over twice as many people in Ohio die by suicide than by homicide.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention leads the fight against suicide. We fund research, offer 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.