According to the Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation. To combat this, the House Health and Welfare Committee introduced a bill earlier this week that supports a national push to change the suicide prevention hotline system.
The bill is meant to encourage federal lawmakers to shorten the national number. The hotline has 11 digits, but this legislation would change it in all states to the three-digit dialing code 611.
John Reusser is the director of the Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline. He says a shorter number would be easier to remember for those reaching out with a mental health crisis.
"It’s going to be easier for people to reach us, easy to remember that number," he says. "Anything we can do to lower the bar for people calling for help is going to save lives."
In August, President Donald Trump signed the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, which would require the Federal Communications Commission to assess the feasibility of three digits.
"I support the effort at the national level, and anything Idaho has to do to participate in that is going to be a good thing for us," Reusser says.
According to the Idaho Press, if Idaho’s bill gets approved by the House, its message will be sent to the U.S. Senate President, House speaker, FCC chairman and Idaho’s congressional delegation.
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