*Analyses

Suicide:

Reducing opportunities and improving treatment

Sri Lanka's suicide rate is one of the worlds highest However. the problem of openly addressing this issue is compounded by a tendeney for a raised proflle of suicide to increase the number of attempts. The government has begun to implement national measums for the prevention of suicide, based on the recommendations of a Presidetial commitee Report on the Prevention of Suicide. Three major thrust areas have been targeted. identifying andeand counselling potential suicides. resitricting access to common suicide agents, and improving medical faciilities in areas where suicides am relatively more common. This combination aims to foster a culture in which suicide is less likely to be considered m a satisfactory solution to personal problems.

Decriminalisation: a step towards be therapy at present, an average of 20 Sri Lankans kill themselves every day. For each person who dies by suicide, at least four others; fag in their attempt. Police reports show that in 1986 the number of suicides was 6,784. This number

had risen to * peak of 8,514 by 1995.

* Suicide is increasingly understood mow m a behavioural problem than as an offence against society. This has led internationally to a mow humanitarian view of the needs of potential suicides. The governments June 1998 repeal of Section 302 of the Penal Code decriminalises; suicide. This repeal a to restore the possibility that more appropriate help will he offered to anyone who is distressed enough to consider suicide.

* Rather than being am encouragement to suicide, decrimmalisation emphasises the need to understand the underlying social and psychological causes of suicide At the same time, it represents a strengthening of individual rights.

Cultural measures to reduce suicide

* Cultural factors, such as the media, play a large role in determining whether individuals will coincidet suicide seriously. The media will therefore be encouraged not to report suicides in ways that inadvertently glamorise sucide.

Specifically, suggestions of heroic self-sacrifice, nobility or romance should not be made in connection with ports of sucide. Wherever possible cases; of suicide should be reported in ways that tend to discourage further incidents.

* The moral strength of the community will be boosted through a series of community-based education programs. These programmes will help people find other ways of expressing the distress that can result &urn transient reasons, such as failure in love. The programmes wig also include coaching in life skills such as conflict resolution.

*Feelings of isolation and lack of emotional support often precede attempts at suicide, particularly amongst the youth. This situation my be worsened by a lack of opportunity for youth to take part in cultural activities and government employment. In order m minimise the conditions which may lead youths to consider suicide, the Ministry of Cultural and Religious Affairs has begun a Youth Empowerment Programme, which wig operate in every Divisional Secretariat Division. Through a series of cultural. physical and learning activities, the programme seeks to better integrate youth society by creating a supportive environment in which young people are free to discuss with peers and counsellors the many life stresses that they experience,

Restricting access to common suicide agents

* While counselling offers hope for the prevention of many potential cases of suicide, the beat way to prevent suicide is simply to restrict access to the most common agents of suicide, such as pesticides and other lethal chemicals.

However, this must be done ways that do not trivialise the underlying reasons that cause people to conside suicide.

* Steps have been taken to formulate new pesticides that are less lethal to humans, manufactured in physical forms that make consumption difficult (i.e. granules), or which contain vomit-inducing agents that render pesticides less suitable as a tool for suicide.

* The law now prohibits the sale of pesticides to those under 18 yew of age In addition, awareness; programmes are being launched to increased community knowledge about safe, secure methods of pesticide storage.

Improving medical facilities in high-risk areas

* Inadequate medical facilities in areas with higher rates of suicide, such as outstation areas haw contributed to Sri Lanka's relatively high rates of suicide Improving medical facilities in these areas is now a matter of priority.

* The ability of base hospitals to successfully treat suicide attempts is being maximised by providing specialised poisons treatment centres, helping patients to get emergency transport to medical facilities and & medical staff the treatment of acute poisoning. a Finally, evidence for the effectiveness; of the government's approach is case by police statistics, which slim suicide rates declining from the 1995 peak of 8,514 to 7,344 in 1996, and 6,418 in 1997. In the first half of 1998, suicides stood at 3,005, appreciably lower than in the first half of 1997.

Presidential Secreriat Analyses 29 June 1999 Number 11
