Youth Suicide Prevention Bill Becomes Law

In researching his Youth Suicide Prevention Bill, Rep. John Mizuno came across an alarming statistic - that within Hawaii's general population, there is one suicide death every 2.8 days. The bill, HB55 was signed into law on June 4 as Act 124. It establishes educational and early intervention and prevention programs within the Dept. of Health to deal with the rising rates of youth suicide for both females and males, and among all ethnic groups. In Hawaii, suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons 15-24 years old.