Arizona's Suicide Rate is Higher Than the Sudan

THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL HAS JUST REPORTED

THAT SUICIDES ARE AT A 30-YEAR ALL TIME HIGH

Copyright: The Real Faces of Elder Abuse

Mark and Carol Fairall

April 30, 2016

    NEARLY 43,000 AMERICANS DIED IN 2014 BY COMMITTING SUICIDE

The 22nd annual Suicide Report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was just released on 04/22/2016. It showed a 24% increase since 1999. The average suicide rate jumped from 10.5 people per 100,000 (29,129 suicide deaths) in 1999 to 13.0 people per 100,000 (42,773 suicide deaths) for 2014. Suicides are at a 30-year all-time high. The highest rate for suicides in the US was during the 1932 Great Depression at 22.1 per 100,000 or 70% higher than 2014.

The causes are reported to be deep anguish of a weak economy, increased divorces, and the lack of education. The highest jump in suicides was for middle-aged women which jumped 63% over the study period. Americans are facing poverty, hopelessness, and poor health problems. The fastest method growing for suicide is suffocation. It is reported that 25% of all suicides are now done by suffocation. Gun suicides are increasing along with overdoses. The highest suicide rate at 38.8 per 100,000 is for men 75-years old and older.

The solution is more suicide education and better suicide prevention projects. The federal funding has been flat at $25 million in preventing suicides.

Over 800,000 people in the world die every year by suicide. That is one death every 40 seconds. With 7.2 billion people in the world the world suicide rate was 11.11 per 100,000. There are more deaths by suicides than from natural disasters, homicides, and wars all together.

Source: "US Suicide Rate Surges to a 30-year High" - THE NEW YORK TIMES - 04/22/2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/22/health/us-suicide-rate-surges-to-a-30-year-high.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

ARIZONA IS THE 13TH WORST STATE FOR SUICIDES

Arizona has over 1,200 people commit suicide every year. That is a shocking number of 100 people a month kill themselves in Arizona. Almost four times as many Arizonans commit suicide than being a homicide victim. Suicides are the eighth leading cause of the deaths of Arizonans. 

The age group that had the most increase of suicides are young girls between the ages of 10 thought 14. The CDC Suicide Report documented that age/sex group over tripled from 5.0 to 17.0 per 100,000 in 15 years.

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/22/474888854/suicide-rates-climb-in-u-s-especiallyamongadolescentgirls?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160422

The worst states for suicides in 2014 are:

1. Wyoming – 29.66 out of 100,000
2. Montana – 23.17 out of 100,000
3. Alaska – 23.0 out of 100,000
4. New Mexico – 21.21 out of 100,000
5. Colorado – 20.27 out of 100,000

Arizona’s suicide rate is 17.65 out of 100,000. An Arizonan commits suicide every seven hours.

THE UNITED STATES SUICIDE CORRIDOR

THE MOUNTAIN WEST FROM MONTANA TO NEW MEXICO

The US "SUICIDE CORRIDOR" runs down the mountain west from: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona (rate is 17.65 per 100,000 people). The reason suggested for this suicide corridor is that the mountain west has people that have a propensity for suicide, which are: Native Americans, non-Hispanic whites, and older retired people.

More men commit suicide at rate of 20.6 per 100,000 than women at the rate of 5.8 per 100,000. The report showed the suicide methods were that men shoot themselves while women poison themselves, with suffocation for both sexes on the rise.

The highest age group that commits suicides are men who are 75-years old and older.

 

HIGHEST SUICIDE RATES IN THE WORLD

Although the US suicides rates are lower than France and Belgium; the US, Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany are showing increasing trends. Suicides are partially influenced by poor economics. However, demography plays an importance influence in increased suicides.

1.  GUYANA - 44.2 out of 100,000 - Deep poverty and alcohol abuse

2.  NORTH KOREA - 38.5 out of 100,000 - Restrictive environment of human rights violations

3.  SOUTH KOREA - 28.9 out of 100,000 - Social pressure and family problems

4.  SRI LANKA - 28.8 out of 100,000 - unknown cause

5.  LITHUANIA - 28.2 out of 100,000 - Financial problems

6.  SURINAME - 27.9 out of 100,000 - Poverty and unemployment

7.  MOZAMBIQUE - 27.4 out of 100,000 - HID/AIDS and disease

8.  TANZANIA - 24.9 out of 100,000 - Poverty, violence, and lack of health care

9.  NEPAL - 24.9 out of 100,000 - history of suicide

10. KAZAKHSTAN - 23.8 out of 100,000 - history of suicide

The United States has a suicide rate of 13.0 out of 100,000. Arizona has one of the worst suicide rates at 17.65 out of 100,000. Arizona's suicide rate is worse than the 22nd worse country in the world for suicides at 17.2 out of 100K, which is SUDAN. The causes for SUDAN's high suicide rate is similar to the problems in Arizona, which are: poverty, crime, corruption, and a brutal legal system

SOURCE: World Health Organization

http://list25.com/25-countries-with-the-highest-suicide-rates-in-the-world/

ARIZONA’S PRISON SUICIDE PROBLEM

Arizona has for-profit prisons run by companies. Arizona builds more prisons than schools. In order to get the companies interested in the prison industry, Arizona pays a minimum 90% occupancy rate payment regardless of the number of prisoners. The US average is 910 adults per 100,000 are in jail. Arizona has the seventh largest adult incarceration rate at 1090 per 100,000 with 55,200 people in jail. The top 10 worst incarceration states for 2013 are:

1.   Louisiana:  1,420 per 100,000 – 50,100 adults in jail  * - 2 private prisons

2.   Oklahoma:  1,300 per 100,000 – 37,900 adults in jail  * - 4 private prisons

3.   Mississippi:  1,270 per 100,000 – 28,800 adults in jail * - 1 private prison

4.   Alabama:  1,230 per 100,000 – 46,000 adults in jail * - 1 private prison

5.   Georgia:  1,220 per 100,000 – 91,600 adults in jail * - 4 private prisons

6.   Texas:  1,130 per 100,000 – 221,800 adults in jail

7.  Arizona:  1,090 per 100,000 – 55,200 adults in jail *  - Arizona has the most - 7 private prisons

8.   Arkansas:  1,010 per 100,000 – 22,800 adults in jail

9.   Florida:  990 per 100,000 – 154,500 adults in jail * - 6 private prisons

10. New Mexico:  980 per 1,000 – 15,500 adults in jail * - 3 private prisons

* = Private Prisons

Over 160 prisoners have mysteriously died in Arizona prisons since 1993. Reported to be mostly suicides! The CRONKITE NEWS just reported on 03/29/2016 the news story: "Hundreds of Arizona inmates have used razors, drugs in self-harm or suicide attempts." It was reported that nearly 500 inmates of the Arizona prison system tried to hurt themselves and/or commit suicide in 2015.

Prisoners commit suicide over three times higher than the US average at 46.0 per 100,000.

Source: Cronkite News - 03/29/2016

https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2016/03/29/hundreds-of-arizona-prison-inmates-have-used-razors-drugs-in-attempted-suicides/

 NEWLY DOCUMENTED NUMBER ONE SUICIDE COUNTRY - GREENLAND

The 04/21/2016 Special Report from NPR: "The Arctic Suicides: It is Not the Dark That Kills You" documents that Greenland is the worst county for suicides at 82.8 per 100,000 people. That over six time higher than the US suicide rate of 13.0 per 100,000 people. The reason reported is THE CONTAGION EFFECT.

The Contagion Effect is copycat suicides or suicide clusters. Suicides can start a suicide chain reaction. The study reported that 60% of the young people who kill themselves do it within four months of a friend's suicide. Two suicides a week is huge for a country that only has 300,000 people. Entire towns have disappeared due to mass suicides.

The reason given for the high Greenland suicide rate is: isolationism, alcoholism, joblessness, poverty, and neglect. A world effort is underway to slow down the Greenland suicide problems with the first suicide hotline, education, and better mental health counseling.

WARNING: One has to be very careful in discussing suicides because it could cause more suicides with the Contagion Effect (copycat suicides) chain reaction.

Source National Public Radio:

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/21/474847921/the-arctic-suicides-its-not-the-dark-thatkillsyou?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social

VETERAN SUICIDE RATE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN 22 A DAY - MORE THAN DOUBLE

The recent 04/22/2016 San Diego news video states veteran's suicide rates are much higher. Only 21 states are counted and not the big population states like California.

The real figure is estimated to be a shocking 50 veteran suicides a day!

Source:

http://www.cw6sandiego.com/suicide-sweeps-california-based-marine-corps-unit/

HOW TO PREVENT A SUICIDE

The recommendations to stop a suicide are:
1. Be sensitive to a depressed person.
2. Ask direct questions about their problems.
3. Do not leave the suicidal person alone. 
4. Call for help immediately (911).
5. Check medications for possible overdose.

The CDC Suicide Report stated that the keys to decreasing suicides are to make it more difficult with: better gun control laws and a better protective medication dispensing system. Many foreign countries dispense medication in blister packs (pictured). You have to punch out one pill at a time rather than having the easy immediate access to a full bottle of medication at once.

The HOTLINE for Suicide Prevention Lifeline is: 1-800-273-8255. This is a major public health issue that we need to be aware of and help prevent a suicide tragedy.