Why Suicide Is Responsible For Keeping Track And Providing Facts And Figures For Suicide

Suicide is the eleventh-leading cause of death in the Unites States and the third-leading cause of death for people ages 10-24 years.

Suicide affects and destroys many families and takes too many lives each year. Despite it being somewhat of a taboo topic, it is important to be aware of the consequences of suicide and what is being done to prevent it. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and took nearly 45,000 deaths last year. For every suicide death, there are roughly 25 suicide attempts. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2017). In the past few years, there has been a rise in suicide prevention programs. Programs are being implemented into schools and universities and offered at community centers as well. Suicide prevention is a major public health priority, as recognized by the Prioritized Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention,

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has published a fact sheet of statistics on suicide in the United States. In 2007, it is reported that suicide was the tenth leading cause of death. Furthermore, for every suicide committed, eleven were attempted. A total of 34,598 deaths occurred from suicide with an overall rate of 11.3 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. (NIMH, 2010). Risk factors were also noted on this report and listed “depression and other mental disorders, or a substance abuse disorder (often in combination with other mental disorders). More than ninety percent of people who die by suicide have these risk factors (NIMH, 2010).”

Additionally, the term “euthanasia” does not mean the same thing as assisted suicide. Often people confuse these processes when they differ immensely. Despite this, they remain similar in their resulting death of a human life through the help of a physician. Euthanasia is the direct killing of a patient by a physician by means of lethal injection and it is completely controlled by the doctor. On the other hand, patients in assisted suicide have full control over the process that leads to their death. For this reason, procedures of these sorts must be eliminated as medical treatments and should not be authorized. Consequently, physician assisted suicide has been proven to lead to euthanasia in some cases. Assisted suicide should become illegal in all fifty states of the United States of America because it raises religious concern, endorses legalized murder, puts vulnerable people at risk of abuse, and

Healthy People 2020 set a goal of reducing the number of completed suicides among the adult population by ten percent. This is a reoccurring theme from Healthy People 2010, where the goal was to reduce the number of suicides from 10.5 to 4.8 per 100,000. Unfortunately, from 2003 to 2013, rate of death from suicide has steadily increased to the current rate of 13.0 per 100,000 deaths (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The goal of Healthy People 2020 is to improve the health of our Nation over the next ten years, from a baseline set of data (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). Though suicide is not an illness, it typically is an untreated or undermanaged mental illness that results in a person resorting to

Consequently, the economic impact of completed suicides in 2010 falls around $44 billion annually. This is because the economic burden tends to effect working age citizens more often than those who commit suicide (2015). However, non-fatal suicide attempts cost around $2 billion annually for hospitalization costs, and another $4.3 billion is spent on indirect costs such as the loss of wages over an extended period of time (2015). Although these costs seem to be more of a private trouble rather than a

Physician assisted suicide is a crime almost everywhere, by one statute or another. In countries where assisted suicide is legal, there are guidelines, such as mandatory written request, administration by physicians only, and mandatory reporting of suicide, to prevent any abuse, however, they are often not enforced, or violated. Currently Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico, and Montana are the only states in the U.S that have legalized assisted suicide. Those who oppose assisted suicide argue that the legalization of it may have unintended consequences, that are not confined to only those states citizens. A person who is terminally ill, disabled, or elderly, may look to assisted suicide as an only resort, rather than a last resort, which it was initially intended to be. Assisted suicide should be abolished throughout the United States.

Did you know that more than 300 terminally ill people a year commit suicide in England, a country that prohibits physician assisted suicide? Physician assisted death is committed with the aid of another person, usually with lethal injections like fluids through IVs or shots, to help end suffering in those whose pain and/or diseases cannot be healed. By making physician assisted suicide legal, we can reduce the pain of those individuals who suffer in some circumstances. In the states of Oregon, Montana, Washington, New Jersey, and Vermont, this option is already legal, but many more states still need to come to this decision so that chronically ill and suffering people can choose to end their misery and pain rather suffer long and drawn out painful deaths.

However, this is not the case, since assisted suicide is treated as a crime in states such as Oregon and Washington. It is believed that assisted suicide entails encouraging people with unstable states of mind to end their lives as opposed to mentally competent patients making their decisions.1 Over the past two decades, different states in the United States have joined the push to have the Death with Dignity law passed in order to give family members the freedom to make choices about the lives of their loved ones, as well as their

Assisted suicide is the act of committing suicide with the help of another person or doctor, most commonly referred to as Physician Assisted Suicide. It is currently legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Montana, California, and Colorado. Considering the increase of people dying from terminal illnesses, assisted suicide should be legalized across the nation. People that suffer from a terminal illness that can’t be cured or treated and will result in death have the right to end their suffering and die with dignity. However, there are people who are against assisted suicide due to religious and moral reasons, others because of their compassion and respect for those who are dying. Although the majority may not agree in making assisted suicide legal in every state, there is an agreement that no one should ever suffer because they are denied the right to stop suffering. Terminally ill patients also have rights just like normal, healthy citizens do and they should not be denied the right to not suffer.

Hundreds of thousands of people die due to suicide every year. This number is estimated to double by 2020 should the current trend continue. The primary cause of these suicides is mental disorders and harmful use of alcohol - which in itself is a result of mental health related conditions. The World Health Organization reports indicate that 20% of the world 's children and adolescents suffer from one or more mental disorders and according to the Kim foundation, 57.7 million people in the US suffer from a mental health disorder.

Assistive suicide, also known as euthanasia, “is suicide committed by someone with assistance from others, typically to end suffering from a severe physical illness” (American Heritage Dictionary, 615). This action is most commonly committed between doctor and patient interactions. This controversial issue depicts suicides as a helpful solution to personally benefit terminally ill patients, as opposed to a forbidden social issue. Assistive suicide has become a major debate of legalization. “This is an act of a physician prescribing a drug to a patient which drug the patient is able to take on his or her own without the assistance of a medical provider or another person. This drug generally results in unconsciousness within five minutes and death within thirty” (Levin, May 08, 2002). My concern with this matter has reached high limits. Due to the fact that is still illegal in certain states many patients aren’t able to relieve their pain or suffering. Assistive suicide is meant as a solution to end personal suffering, its not to involve the public’s opinion or decisions. This should be a personal choice. Assistive suicide should be an elective choice for anyone and everyone facing terminal illness. Not enabling assisted suicide violates human rights and infringes inalienable rights.

The World Health Organization, WHO, estimates that every year, throughout the world, there are about 800,000 deaths by suicide and many, many more attempts. So about 12 people for every 100,000. Universally, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages 15 to 29. And about 75% of global suicide occurred in low and middle income countries, in 2012.

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide should become legal in the United States and all US territories. Though Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide are not the same and are separate acts, they both serve the same purpose, which is to follow the desire of a person with terminal illness to end their life without legal consequences. This same right should extend to family members and guardians of people unable to act for themselves. The current legal situation is that the procedures are illegal in most of the United States. There should be a Federal Law allowing euthanasia and assisted suicide to be practiced in all fifty states.

Suicide is going to claim more lives than any of us realize. As the people of America, we have very little knowledge of what suicide is doing. Suicide has turned into a bigger problem than anyone understands by claiming a higher percentage than any other reason for death in the US. It also has claimed an area of the country to host itself and is using the internet to ruin people’s lives.