Joe Donnelly: “I come to the floor to bring attention to suicide prevention, an issue of tremendous importance to families and…”

“I come to the floor to bring attention to suicide prevention, an issue of tremendous importance to families and communities across Indiana and our country. The Senate will be introducing a resolution very soon recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem and expressing support for designation of September as National Suicide Prevention Month. Every year, we lose nearly 45,000 Americans to suicide. It is the 10th leading cause of death in this country and second leading cause for those ages 15 to 34. Think about that for a moment: 45,000 lives every year, 123 lives every day, 1 life every 12 minutes. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention champions the message: ``Be The Voice . . . Stop Suicide.'' Whether we are Senators or family or friends or coworkers or even strangers, we can all play a role in helping to prevent suicide. We all must ``be the voice.'' So what is our voice? Formally recognizing Suicide Prevention Month is a start, and I am proud to have cosponsored that resolution. Yet it can't just be about a day or a week or a month on which we pause to reflect. This is a heartbreaking challenge for our communities, and we must be working year-round and across the aisle--there are no Democrats or Republicans in this--to find the solutions that provide Americans with the help they need to get through their most trying times.…”