Untimely Death #3: Suicide!

• Figures for 2001 show the suicide rate in Northern Ireland to be 26 deaths per 100,000 of the population, compared with a UK-wide figure of 15 per 100,000.

• It is in the top 5 'killer conditions' in Northern Ireland.

• Approximately 200 people a year take their own lives in Northern Ireland, and, as recent events in our province testify, many of these are young people.

It is not a problem unique to Northern Ireland, of course.

American youth specialist and lecturer Jerry Johnston writes, "According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18 teenagers per day kill themselves in the United States. Every 80 minutes another teenager takes the suicidal plunge. What a nightmare it is to realise over 100 teenagers per week kill themselves in our country. In a year's time, the total comes to a staggering 6500 lives lost ... ."

However, no amount of cold figures can convey the tragedy of suicide, especially among the younger population. Who can measure the human tragedy of promising lives that are cut off in a moment - of parents and family and friends who are left to cope with unspeakable heartache and sorrow - of communities that are torn apart?

This message, gratefully making use of stats supplied by Josh McDowell in his book 'Counselling Youth,' discusses this problem issue of suicide with the heartfelt prayer that lives will be saved from this tragic end.