July 16, 2020 9:45 a.m.

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said people facing a mental health crisis will have a “much needed lifeline” following Thursday’s Federal Communications Commission decision designating a new nationwide three-digit 988 phone hotline.

Citing statistics from Oregon and throughout the United States, Wyden’s release said he has been a long-time advocate for the FCC to create a three-digit number for people in a mental health crisis or who are exploring suicide.

Wyden said “mental health must be treated with the same urgency as physical health”. He said that is especially important in light of the many mental health challenges touched off by dealing with COVID-19.

Wyden said the statewide “Breaking the Silence” reporting project last year in Oregon found suicide kills more than 800 residents of the state each year, and that suicide rates in the state and across the country have steadily increased since 2000.