Advocates to Storm Georgia State Capitol to Request Resources to Help Fight Suicide

Georgia Operating Under Outdated Statewide Suicide Prevention Program

News provided by

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Mar 03, 2017, 09:07 ET

ATLANTA, March 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, one person dies every seven hours in the state from suicide. To help prevent this tragic loss of life, volunteer advocates from the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are visiting the state capitol on Monday, March 6 to ask their legislative leaders to develop a new statewide suicide prevention program. The current program dates to 2001 and the action plan was last updated in 2008.

"Suicide prevention is not the responsibility of one person, one organization or one industry. We can all help prevent suicide," said Roland Behm, Chair of the Board of Directors for the AFSP Georgia Chapter. "The state needs to make this a priority for the people of Georgia before we lose any more lives to suicide."

"In the past nine years, there have been great strides in what we know about how to prevent suicide. There have been new education programs developed based on the research we've learned. In 2008, the internet was just in its infancy, a tool and platform that has presented great challenges and opportunities in the area of preventing suicide. A plan from 2008 is not acceptable or adequate for helping us to save lives," said Chris Owens, Georgia Area Director at AFSP.

This is the second time AFSP is hosting a State Capitol Day in Georgia. The advocates are part of a larger national movement of AFSP volunteer advocates who will be visiting 35 state capitols across the United States in spring 2017 to bring best practices in suicide prevention to state legislators.

Suicide in Georgia
On average one person dies by suicide every seven hours in the state. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death overall in Georgia. For people aged 25-34 in Georgia, it is the second leading cause of death. For those aged 10-24, it is the third leading cause of death.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. AFSP celebrates 30 years of service to the suicide prevention movement. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.