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Suicide Prevention Month proclamation signed by Gov. Little

According to IDHW, suicide is a critical health issue in the Gem State. In 2019, Idaho had the 11th highest suicide rate in the United States.

BOISE, Idaho — September 10 has officially been deemed "Suicide Prevention Month" in Idaho, after Governor Brad Little signed the proclamation at the 12th annual "Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk, Break the Silence" event, held Saturday morning.

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW), suicide is a critical health issue in the Gem State. In 2019, Idaho had the 11th highest suicide rate in the U.S.

In 2020, 421 Idahoans were reported to have died by suicide, making it the ninth most common cause of death in the state. That is 1.4 times the rate of the national average, according to IDHW.

As a way of recognizing the significance of the day, Resurrected Tattoo held its 7th annual Semicolon Tattoo fundraiser from 12 - 8 p.m. Funds collected from the event benefit the Idaho Crisis and Suicide Hotline.

Credit: Mike Swan
The 7th annual Semicolon Tattoo Fundraiser kicked off at Resurrected Tattoos in Boise.

The semicolon was selected as a symbol to represent when a person has battled with suicide, but chose to keep living. The semicolon was chosen due to its function in punctuation; it is used when a sentence could have ended, but continues. 

The symbol now empowers individuals to show strength in the face of struggles, giving them the power to write their own stories.

Below are photos from the seventh annual event:

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