September Is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Four in 10 gun deaths in cities are people who die by firearm suicide, accounting for over 7,000 deaths a year.

Americans should be aware of the prevalence of firearm suicide, how having access to a gun increases the risk of suicide, and how to mitigate risk.

Every year suicide claims more lives in the US than American lives taken in combat during the Vietnam War.

Over the past decade, the firearm suicide rate among young people has increased faster than in any other age group.

One of the most consistent findings from available research is that LGBTQ+ young people experience higher rates of considering and attempting suicide compared to their peers.

An average of 4,600 veterans die by firearm suicide every year—about 12 deaths a day.

In 2022, the firearm suicide rate among young Black people ages 10-24 surpassed that of young white people for the first time since data is available.

Given the unique lethality of firearms as a means of suicide, policies and practices that limit or disrupt access to firearms have been shown to save lives.

Gun access interventions exist on a continuum: a chain of actions that can be taken depending on the severity of the crisis and other factors.

Each year in the U.S., nearly 360 children ages 17 and under gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else. That’s roughly one unintentional shooting per day.

When a loved one is showing warning signs that they are in crisis and might try to harm themselves, you can seek an Extreme Risk Protection Order in many states to temporarily suspend their access to firearms until the crisis passes.

This toolkit was created to help you take action in your community to prevent youth suicide and honor September as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Secure gun storage is particularly important for preventing suicides and unintentional gun deaths among children and teens.