Suicide Prevention Advocacy Letters

What is an Advocacy Letter?

1. Read the Congressional Resolutions and the 12 reasons to sign Advocacy Letters

2. Download and print a Youth Letter if you are NOT of voting age, or download and print an Adult Letter if you ARE of voting age.
   Note: Your computer will prompt you for your name and address, and it will then generate four letters that fit onto one sheet of paper, each addressed to a different government official.

3. After print the page, sign in the four blanks provided for signatures. You may write comments of the back of the page also.

4. Mail completed letters (do not separate them) to: Suicide Prevention Services, 528 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia IL 60510

Twelve Reasons Why You Should Sign An Advocacy Letter . . .

1. Many suicides are preventable if people get the appropriate treatment.

2. Every suicidal person deserves treatment.

3. Every 41 seconds someone in this country attempts suicide.

4. Every 16.7 minutes, someone completes suicide.

5. Over 85 people a day die by suicide.

6. People can do something about suicide. They can exercise their First Amendment Rights by petitioning the government for change.

7. Yearly at least 750,000 productive years of life (under age 65) are lost to suicide.

8. Many millions of hours are spent by survivors trying to cope with their loss.

9. Suicide is the eighth leading cause of all deaths, third in age group 15-24.

10. In the past 40 years, the suicide rate in 15-19 year olds has quadrupled.

11. Suicide causes are multifaceted: biological, sociological, psychological and societal.

12. The development and implementation of a National Suicide Prevention Strategy is dependent on YOUR advocacy.