During Mental Health Month, I want to call special attention to the tenth leading cause of death in the United States: suicide.  More than 100 American lives are lost to suicide each day. That means in the next hour, four people will commit suicide. One will be a veteran.

In our state, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Minnesotans ages 15-34.

These staggering numbers are part of a larger trend. From 2000-2010, suicides increased 16 percent. In that same 10 year period, deaths from causes like stroke and heart disease declined. While we have made progress in reducing deaths from physical diseases, we have left those dealing with substance use and mental illness behind.

Led by Republicans, Congress passed the largest mental health reform bill in a half century. It was signed into law in 2016 and included efforts to combat suicide including the first ever authorization of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Program. I was proud to support this legislation, called the 21st Century Cures Act.

This session, I authored a bill specific for our nation’s farmers who suffer from suicide at a rate 5x greater than the normal population. The STRESS Act has been included in the 2018 Farm Bill, with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle. Learn more about the bill in this article.

There are many ways to get involved in the fight against suicide. Click here to learn how. Every life is precious at every age.  Let’s work together to save all of them we can.