LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – A statewide push to reduce suicide deaths brought mental health providers, veterans organizations, and firearm retailers to Lima.
The Lethal Means Safety and Treatment Access Conference was held Thursday with one shared goal: to save lives by having conversations about mental health and firearm safety.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, firearms were involved in more than half of all suicide deaths in 2023.
The Lethal Means Safety and Treatment Access Conference was held Thursday.
Experts say it’s important to talk about safe storage, how to get help, and what resources are available to those struggling with mental health.
“We know about roughly 60% of our suicide deaths in Ohio involve a firearm, and if we don't include firearms owners in the conversation, it's difficult to reduce those numbers," said Daniel Bennett, director of statewide prevention for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation. "There's a lot of stigma that exists in the space around suicide, and there's also this kind of sense for firearms owners that it's not okay to talk about mental health or suicide — that someone's going to take my guns away, things like that. But if that information, those resources, are coming from a trusted source, like their local firearms retailer, they're a lot more likely to engage in the conversation."
“We're giving out gun locks. We're giving out information about what these different services provide. So, for example, we have a lot of people who have served in the military who don't even know what their benefits are. We're just trying to get this information out so that people know where to get their resources,” said Wanda Ortiz Thayne, a veteran and volunteer for the Suicide Prevention Coalition for Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin counties.
If you or someone you know is looking for help, you can call or text 988, or visit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation website at ohiospf.org
