Suicides outnumber road deaths

 Suicides outnumber road deaths - national | Stuff.co.nz

Letter to editor published today in the Christchurch Press in response to the article that featured last week.

Title - Too Hard

I find it beyond belief that professional experts on suicide prevention have left our province in a state of despair and disillusionment after their funding of suicide research was rejected by the Ministry of Health.

It’s an appalling reality that Canterbury suffers badly from the insidious suicide scourge and it’s not rocket science to expect funding to combat the escalating problem for society. Incredulously we are continually reminded by the media and government agencies about the importance of road safety yet nothing is said about suicide outnumbering road fatalities.

No doubt the triggers that because the carnage on our roads is well researched and government funded so it makes no sense that people killing themselves is not funded. Maybe the triggers that cause suicide are far too complicated for a government continually filing sensitive issues in the too hard basket.