Preventing suicide: extreme risk protection orders

SALT LAKE CITY — According to the Centers for Disease Control, every year, the majority of the 30,000 Americans killed by guns are firearm suicides. Utah has the 5th highest suicide rate in the nation, around half of which are firearm suicides.

Public health professionals, law enforcement and other advocates of suicide prevention are working to expand the use of a policy often called an extreme risk protection order (ERPO) or extreme risk law. These policies have been shown to reduce suicides in other states, they assert.

On Healthy Mind Matters, we consider whether these “Red Flag” or Extreme Risk Protection order laws can help address the high rate of firearm suicides in Utah.

Healthy Mind Matters airs Sundays on KSL Newsradio. You can also listen above, or find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts.

More suicide prevention and mental health resources are available here.