September 10, 2019 — World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10. But suicide is a year-round tragedy. On Saturday night, about 120 people registered to take part in “Healing Hearts, Saving Lives,” the third annual suicide awareness walk at the Ukiah High School, put on by the Pinoleville Pomo Nation under their Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative. According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for people of all ages. In the US, the national rate is 13.8 suicides per 100,000 people. In Mendocino County, which has a population of just under 88,000, there were 20 deaths by suicide in 2018 alone. Easy access to firearms is a major factor, and so family violence.
We’ll hear from a domestic violence survivors' advocate and two people involved in the event, about what they’re doing and why.