August 20, 2019 3:30 a.m.
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden is welcoming a move by staff with the Federal Communications Commission to designate a new nationwide 3-digit phone hotline for people facing a mental health crisis and for suicide prevention.
A release from Wyden said the number could save lives and provide a “much-needed ear for people who need it most”. He said there is no time to waste when for the past 3 decades, Oregon’s suicide rates have been much higher than the national average.
Wyden noted that the statewide “Breaking the Silence” reporting project this year in Oregon found that suicide kills more than 800 Oregonians a year and that suicide rates in the state and across the country, have steadily increased since 2000.
Wyden said the situation qualifies as a “public health crisis” and said “it’s urgent business that it be treated as such”. He said establishing the 3-digit lifeline takes a significant step in that direction.