Facebook being tapped in suicide prevention strategy
A new nationwide plan to prevent suicides, especially among U.S. military veterans and younger Americans, is tapping into Facebook, mobile apps and other technologies as part of a community-driven push to report concerns before suicide occurs.
The effort is the first new plan in more than a decade to address what officials say is a growing public health issue. It aims to curb deaths over 10 years, especially among the nation's military veterans.
"It takes the entire community to prevent suicides. It's not just one individual," said U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. "We all can play a role."
The revised plan promotes a recently developed Facebook Inc. service that allows users to report suicidal comments they see online from friends. The website will then send the potential victim an email urging him to call the hotline as well as chat confidentially online with a counselor.
