| ■ A Suicide Occurs Every 30 Seconds: WHO | 2007.09.14 |
| Each day around the world, almost 3,000 people commit suicide, which works out to about one suicide every 30 seconds, says a World Health Organization report released Monday to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day. The report also said that for every person who commits suicide, there are at least 20 more people who try to kill themselves, Agence France-Presse reported. The global suicide rate has risen 60 percent over the last 50 years. Suicide is now among the top three causes of death among people ages 15 to 34. However, most suicide victims are 60 and older, the WHO said. The agency said it's striving "to ensure that suicide is no longer seen as a taboo or an acceptable result of personal or social crises, but as a health condition influenced by psycho-social, cultural and environmental risk factors," AFP reported. |