Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in Colorado, and the state ranks seventh in the country in suicide death rates. A new three-digit National Suicide Prevention hotline number — 988 — has been introduced to bring those numbers down.
The new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number for mental health crises is similar to the 911 number for medical emergencies. Because callers need to remember only three digits, the Federal Communications Commission notes it will be easier for Americans in crisis to find the help they need.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline began in 2005, but callers previously had to dial a 10-digit number to reach trained crisis counselors. Now they can reach that same network of help after dialing only 988.
Anyone in crisis anywhere in the country can call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 to connect to the help line, thanks to legislation passed by Congress in September 2020 and signed into law by President Donald Trump in October 2020.