Self- inflicted harm takes far more lives than traffic crashes in this country. The Canada Safety Council says it's time for action.

Over the 1990s traffic fatalities decreased but suicides were on the rise. Since 1992, the number of suicides has been greater than the number of road fatalities. In 1999 there were 37 per cent more suicides than traffic deaths.1 Over 4,000 Canadians took their own lives that year.

Alarming though these statistics are, they may be low. Says Emile Therien, president of the Canada Safety Council, "We simply do not know how many deaths in single-vehicle crashes, railway trespassing incidents and other so-called 'accidents' are intentional."

Prevention Strategies

Suicides are not sudden and unpredictable. They are rarely the result of a single painful experience or loss. About 80 per cent of victims give signals that they are suicidal before taking their own life, although few make a direct plea for help.

In Canada, suicide is the leading cause of death for men aged 25 to 29 and 40 to 44, and for women aged 30 to 34. It is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 24. For each completed suicide there are 100 attempts, and over 23,000 Canadians are hospitalized each year for a suicide attempt.2

Mental health conditions, sometimes very well-hidden, are usually a factor. Over 90 per cent of suicide victims have a psychiatric illness, most often depression, at the time of their death ? in many cases undiagnosed and thus untreated. One in 10 people living with schizophrenia dies by suicide.

The mental health community must provide treatment, public education, and strategies to help at-risk individuals, but according to Therien, safety measures and policies also play an important role. Most suicidal individuals can be helped, and go on to lead rewarding and meaningful lives, he says. That makes it critical to prevent access to anything they could use for self-harm.

He cites statistics that show the proportion of completed suicides is highest with a firearm (92 per cent). A home where there are firearms is five times more likely to be the scene of a suicide than a home without a gun.

Guns aren't the only means of self-harm that are of concern to the Canada Safety Council.

    * Self-inflicted poisoning, mostly among women in their 20s to 40s, involves tranquillizers, analgesics, anti-depressants and other psychotropic medications. Physicians and pharmacists must keep a close eye on such prescriptions.

    * The combination of mood disorders and substance abuse greatly heightens the risk of suicide. This reinforces the need for preventive policies with respect to alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription medications.

    * The media have a powerful influence. They can educate the public about suicide ? or they can provoke copycat suicides. If a suicide is covered, reporting must be responsible and sensitive.3

Guns in the Home

Nearly 80 per cent of all firearms deaths in Canada are suicides. Nearly 20 per cent of all people who kill themselves use a gun. Some say that in the absence of a firearm, a suicidal person will seek out another method, but research indicates that is not so.

A Quebec study led by Dr. Robert Simon examined whether suicide rates were related to gun ownership rates.4 It found that where hunting for sport is common and firearms are more readily available, the firearm suicide rate is higher than in urban areas. Moreover, as the firearm related suicide rate increased, so did the overall death rate by suicide. The researchers concluded that if a suicidal person does not have access to a firearm, there is no evidence that another method will be used, at least not one as lethal as a firearm.

Government Commitment Needed

Therien points out that Canada has a national road safety strategy, and it's working. Traffic deaths are declining despite higher numbers of drivers and vehicles. He says many developed countries have suicide prevention strategies, and Canada desperately needs one.

The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention is working on a blueprint for such a strategy. However, to date the Canadian government has not made the necessary commitment to address this silent tragedy.

January 6, 2004

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