【140-141】Calls for More Suicide Prevention Efforts as Rates Rise
*【140】AS IT IS
Calls for More Suicide Prevention Efforts as Rates Rise
This combination of 2004 and 2016 file photos shows fashion designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain in New York.
But suicide is not just an American problem. Each year, about 800,000 people worldwide die as a result of suicide. That number does not include the countless others who attempt to take their lives.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every 40 seconds, someone in the world ends his or her life.
WHO officials say suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds worldwide. Nearly 80 percent of suicides in 2015 took place in low-income and middle-income countries.
Prevention in America
WHO studies show that the United States has one of the highest rates of suicide in the world.
Suicide prevention experts say a major step to preventing suicide is to get help early and to reduce the stigma around mental health and suicide.
For American adolescents, the CDC says suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicides.
Experts say suicides can be prevented if governments set policies to prevent alcohol and drug abuse, make guns safer and restrict their use among people at risk of suicide.
Experts also say U.S. officials can help reduce the stigma of suicide and provide support for those suffering from depression and conditions linked to depression.
John Draper is the executive director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a nonprofit organization. Its telephone hotline provides free prevention support 24 hours a day. He said that the organization’s crisis centers around the country are in serious need of money.
Mental health
Paul Gionfriddo leads Mental Health America, another nonprofit group. He became a supporter of early suicide prevention treatment when his son developed a mental condition.
Gionfriddo said suicide is a “stage-four event” for a lot of people who suffer from mental disorders or chronic diseases unrelated to mental health.
Dorothy Paugh was nine years old when her father took his life. Fifty years later, she was shocked by yet another suicide: that of her son.
Because of her experiences, Paugh became a supporter of suicide prevention.
She said, "If we think someone may be troubled, ask them outright if they are having thoughts of suicide. It's not a comfortable conversation, but it's a lot more comfortable than a funeral. That's my hope and my purpose in speaking about suicide — so people know it is preventable."
Experts say mental health exams would help people get into treatment before their depression becomes severe. Other advice includes reducing the social stigma tied to mental health issues and making treatment more widely available.
The WHO says that early identification and treatment of mental disorders may be the goal in developed countries, like the United States. It points out that prevention policies may be different in low- and middle-income countries.
I’m Jonathan Evans.
Alice Bryant adapted this story from several VOA stories and reports from the CDC and WHO. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
low-income - adj. of or relating to those with a relatively small income.
middle-income - adj. of or relating to those with an average income within the overall population.
stigma - n. a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something
adolescent - n. a young person who is developing into an adult; a young person who is going through adolescence
homicide - n. the act of killing another person; murder
hotline - n. a telephone service for the public to use to get help in emergencies
chronic - adj. continuing or occurring again and again for a long time
comfortable - adj. not causing any physically unpleasant feelings; producing physical comfort
conversation - n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people; the act of talking in an informal way
*【141】 AS IT IS
US: Sanctions Remain Until North Korean Denuclearization
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, June 14, 2018. (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS)
But, Pompeo said that was not the case.
“We’re going to get denuclearization,” he said. “Only then will there be relief from the sanctions.”
Pompeo said that the U.S. wants verifiable action by North Korea to denuclearize by January 2021.
He noted that the joint statement signed by Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un confirmed an earlier declaration signed in April. In the Panmunjom Declaration, South Korean President Moon Jai-in and Kim agreed to support past agreements which included verification requirements, Pompeo said.
Many people has said that the Joint Declaration signed on June 12 lacked clear terms for how the North would end its nuclear weapons program.
Pompeo met in Seoul Thursday with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.
Later, Pompeo traveled to Beijing were he spoke to China’s foreign minister Wang Yi.
He thanked China and President Xi Jinping for “helping bring North Korea to the negotiating table.”
Wang described the Trump-Kim meeting in Singapore as having “great historic significance” that could lead to lasting peace. He also said the U.S. should continue to, in Wang’s words, “work through China.”
Suspension of military exercises
After meeting with Kim, many were surprised when Trump spoke about joint military exercises, what he called “war games,” with South Korea. He said the large exercises would be suspended while negotiations with the North were taking place. Trump called the training, “provocative.” The president made the comments after his meeting with Kim.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said he would carefully consider suspending the military exercises. Moon met with Pompeo to discuss the summit in Singapore before the secretary of state met with his diplomatic counterparts.
During the meeting with Pompeo in Seoul, Foreign Minister Kang said the alliance with the U.S. remained strong. She said details of military planning were not discussed.
Foreign Minister Kono said Japan welcomed diplomatic progress with North Korea. However, he said Japan wanted the issue of North Korean missiles and other weapons that could strike Japan to be discussed. He also said Japan wanted U.S. troops to remain in South Korea.
Japanese news media have reported that officials are seeking a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Kim Jong Un.
The reports say Kim expressed a willingness to hold talks with Abe.
Japanese officials plan to discuss a possible summit at a security conference in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia this week. A summit could take place in August in the North Korean capital Pyongyang or during an area economic meeting in Vladivostok, Russia in September.
Abe and Japanese officials also have repeatedly called for talks on the return of Japanese citizens seized by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s.
I’m Mario Ritter.
Brian Padden, Ken Bredemeier and Michael Bowman reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in This Story
sanctions –n. measures taken to force a country to obey international law usually by limiting trade
relief –n. the removal of something painful or difficult
verifiable –adj. able to be shown as true or to have been done
provocative –adj. resulting in discussion, thought or argument
counterpart –n. someone who has the same job or purpose
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