Increasing number of suicides in Tamil Nadu is a worrisome issue, said Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of SNEHA, the suicide prevention centre that runs a helpline for those in distress.
She was speaking at a workshop on reporting suicides in the media on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day - 2018 held in the city on Sunday.
China had high suicide rates earlier, but now India was leading, she said. “According to the WHO report released in 2014, 2.35 lakh committed suicide in India. The incidence is high in southern States. In Tamil Nadu, the number of suicides is increasing,” she said.
Outlining the three strategies given by WHO to curb suicides, she said the method or things used for ending life should be curbed, alcohol sale and consumption should be controlled and the media should streamline portrayal of suicide. “The media can increase and bring down suicides. Responsible reporting can help bring down suicides in the country,” she added.
Speaking about SNEHA, she said that when it was founded in 1986 people were sceptical about its success. “Today we have helped a lot of people and our main strength is our volunteers. Ours is an NGO that has not closed even for a single day,” she said.
Ms. Lakshmi Vijayakumar said that the first World Suicide Prevention Day started in 2003 had a Chennai connection. “The brochures were printed in this city,” she said. Nalli Kuppuswamy, president, SNEHA, spoke on the occasion.