The Rotary Clubs of Homer Downtown and Homer Kachemak Bay will hold a free, two-hour suicide-prevention training program on April 22, for anybody in the community who wants to attend.

Suicide is a scourge in Alaska.  Our state is consistently among the top five in the country for having a high rate in number of suicides. We aren’t number one any more, but we aren’t very far down the list of states, either. As of 2013, we were number 2, with 23.3 suicides per 100,000 people, still almost double the national rate of 13.0 per 100,000 people. 

Suicide affects every age group, every ethnic group — although in Alaska it’s highest among Alaska Natives — and both genders, although, again, the rate is higher in men than women. Suicide is a devastating tragedy for the person who succumbs to it, for his or her family and friends, and for the community as well. 

Suicide can be prevented by knowing what signs to look for and how to offer the help and support needed to persuade someone to choose life rather than death. 

The Alaska Suicide Prevention Training program will be offered on April 22, 6-8 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church.  For more information, watch for our posters around town, our ads in the newspapers and on the radio, or call Jan O’Meara at 907-399-1226 or Milli Martin at 235-6652.

Jan O’Meara

President 2014-2015

Rotary Club of Homer Downtown