As Sunday marks the fifteenth World Suicide Prevention Day, Quebec Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois stated the importance of working with those who are in distress.
Charlebois noted that 20,000 people within the health and social services sector, both public and private, have been trained in suicide prevention since 2010.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘Take a minute, change a life,’ as when it comes to suicide prevention, acting quickly to protect a vulnerable person can be essential.
Quebec Association for Suicide Prevention executive director Jerome Gaudreault said the suicide rate in Quebec has declined in recent years but “one death is a death too many.”
In Quebec, an average of three people take their own lives every day.
Gaudreault said it’s essential to continue efforts to raise awareness of the issue.
In 2016-17, Quebec spent nearly $11 million on efforts to prevent suicide.