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Investigation Shows Suicide Rate Nearly Three Times Homicide Rate in Ohio
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Suicide claims a life in Ohio every seven hours, but its victims are largely ignored by lawmakers, medical professionals and much of the public.
That’s the conclusion of The Columbus Dispatch which conducted a nine-month investigation into what experts are calling a public health crisis in the state.
The Dispatch found that since 2000, more than 20,000 people have died by suicide in Ohio – nearly triple the number of homicide victims. Experts say the deaths are preventable, but lawmakers and public officials haven’t taken the necessary steps.
The investigation found that more than 80 percent of those who took their own lives were male. Middle-age men, ages of 45 to 64, account for nearly a quarter of all suicides. The youngest victims were just 8 years old.