As recent events in Parkland, FL put a national spotlight on gun-violence and misuse in America a coalition of Washingtonians has come together to decrease suicides attributed to firearms and misuse of materials which someone may abuse to take their own life.
The Safer Homes Coalition is a coalition of over 43 public health workers and members of the firearm community in Washington State who have been working together in order to combat suicides via firearm by training firearms retailers and pharmacists on suicide prevention tactics to avoid supplying the means for someone to take their own life. In partnership between Forefront Suicide Prevention – a University of Washington social-impact center – and the Second Amendment Foundation – a Washington private gun ownership group which educates and lobbies for the right to private firearm ownership – the coalition aims to take a broad stance towards decreasing firearm suicides.
The Safer Homes Coalition described themselves and their message as “A platform that empowers community members and professionals to take immediate actions to keep homes safer from suicide. Born from the passage of House Bills 2793 and 1612, the campaign provides resources, support, and training across the state of Washington. “Safer Homes” signifies a home in which lethal means are unavailable to a suicidal individual. “Suicide Aware” signifies the universal need to educate people about suicide, removing the mystery and replacing it with facts.”
The coalition hopes to decrease firearm related suicides in the state by educating their customers, opening dialogue and making sure that they are in good mental health. The coalition educates buyers on crucial steps such as proper gun storage in the household, which have proven to decrease the amount of accidental injuries and deaths as a result of discharges, additionally keeping firearms out of the hands of someone who may attempt to take their own life with someone else’s weapon.
An analysis of state death records done by The Spokesman-Review found that 4,164 Washingtonians ended their lives using a firearm between 2010 and 2017, accounting for nearly half of all suicides and 78 percent of total gun deaths.
Additionally, The Spokesman Review outlined that 85 percent of gun suicides are males, with males making up 77 percent of the overall suicide population. 208 teenagers killed themselves over an eight year period with 63 people who were 90 or older taking their lives in that same time, 59 percent with handguns and 18 percent with rifles and shotguns.
The coalition hopes to decrease deaths via suicide by taking away some of the easiest and most common forms of suicide so that impulsive actions become less likely and less deadly. A study done by the national center for suicide prevention found that, when 153 survivors of suicide were interviewed, nearly a fourth of them deliberated for less than five minutes as to whether they would take their own lives and with nearly half the group deliberating for under an hour before their attempts.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or tendencies, help is available. The national suicide hotline is available 24/7 to assist you at 1-800-273-8255. Additionally, their website offers more resources at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
The Local King County Suicide Hotline is 866-427-4747. Other available resources are Campus Security at 425-564-2400 and the Campus Counseling Center at 425-564-2212.