Day to mark suicide prevention

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Saturday Sept. 10 will be the third World Suicide Prevention Day.

To coincide with this event, the Vancouver-based Josh Platzer Memorial Fund has produced rubber bracelets for youth and adults to promote suicide prevention and awareness.

The orange rubber bracelets carry the message "Suicide Prevention and Awareness www.YouthinBC.com 1-800-SUICIDE"

Teens and youth are particularly vulnerable to suicide. It is the second leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds.

As World Suicide Prevention Day coincides with the start of the academic year, bracelets and prevention information will be made available to students at various schools and colleges throughout the Lower Mainland.

There will be information tables at Vancouver Community College and at high schools where students have volunteered to promote the cause, such as Ideal Mini school where brother and sister Evan and Elizabeth Cunningham will distribute information and bracelets.

Many retailers on the west side are supporting the educational drive and have counter displays with bracelets. Just a few of the locations are Stongs and Just Imagine on Dunbar, Blockbuster and Paul's Boutique in Kerrisdale, and Changes and Pinky's on West 10th Ave.

The Josh Platzer Memorial Fund was set up in September 2000 after the death of my son, Josh, a 15-year-old high school student. The goal of the society is to educate youth and families about suicide prevention.

Rubber bracelets were chosen as the medium of this message as they are currently so popular with young people. The colour orange commemorates Josh's brilliant red hair.

For more information on this initiative or the Josh Platzer Memorial Fund, please e-mail me.

judeplatzer@telus.net

SOME RESOURCES

Suicide Prevention Hotline

1-800 - SUICIDE

1-800- 784-2433

Province-wide Crisis Line

1-866-661-3311

Lower Mainland Crisis Line

(604) 872-3311

www.teensuicideprevention.org

www.suicideinfo.ca