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Cellphones Medicine United States

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Will Be Available By Dialing '988' In 2022 (theverge.com) 61

Posted by BeauHD from the public-service-announcement dept.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will be available for people in suicidal crisis under a new easier-to-remember phone number in two years. The Verge reports: On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to finalize 988 as the number Americans can call to be directed to the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline. As of right now, individuals in suicidal crisis can reach that hotline by dialing 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), but that number will be easier to remember once it transitions to its three-digit equivalent starting on July 16th, 2022. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement on Thursday, "Establishing the easy-to-remember 988 as the '911' for suicide prevention and mental health services will make it easier for Americans in crisis to access the help they need."

As of right now, the national suicide hotline does not provide texting services. Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel took issue with the commission's decision not to include the ability to text the hotline in its rulemaking. "Voice service has its benefits, but it is not native for most young people," Rosenworcel said in a statement on Thursday. "So I regret today's decision is anchored in older technologies and takes a pass on developing texting capabilities with this three-digit hotline. We should have done so here."
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Will Be Available By Dialing '988' In 2022 More

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Will Be Available By Dialing '988' In 2022

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  • will it work on payphones? will they forced to make it free.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Xenx ( 2211586 )
      I mean the service, as it already exists, is free and accessible on payphones. I don't see any reason why they would need to make it a paid service when giving it a 3-digit number.

    • will it work on payphones? will they forced to make it free.

      Yes, everyone calling the suicide prevention hotline from the 20th century will be able to speak with an operator without issue.

      • Ever consider that someone might use a payphone for anonymity reasons?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

          Ever consider that someone might use a payphone for anonymity reasons?

          Are there even payphones around? I've seen maybe one or two, usually ones that are located somewhere and completely forgotten about (they probably get so little use the phone company doesn't even know until someone uses it), considering the rise in cellphones, the drop in revenue and vandalism rapidly cause the removal of payphones. (it's not worth fixing up - so destroyed payphones that are still around are scheduled for remove).

    • What is a payphone?

    • will it work on payphones? will they forced to make it free.

      Payphones? No, but there will be an accompanying site that will securely accept suicide notes in both PowerPoint and Keynote formats.

    • What's a payphone, Grandpa?
  • I think they should have picked a different sequence. Can't wait for the first time someone fat-fingers an 888 number and dials 988 instead...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by MrL0G1C ( 867445 )

      Why? What terrible thing will happen?

      • The cops show up before the paramedics and shoot someone before they can harm themselves. Don't laugh, its happened.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by MrL0G1C ( 867445 )

          Except the parent poster mentioned 888 and 988 not 911, one is the other side of the keypad from 9 and 8.

          And the cops turning up and shooting someone to stop them from harming themself doesn't actually make any sense, US needs to sort it's police out.

          • And the cops turning up and shooting someone to stop them from harming themself doesn't actually make any sense, US needs to sort it's police out.

            Suicide by Cop [wikipedia.org] is a thing.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by gweihir ( 88907 )

          The cops show up before the paramedics and shoot someone before they can harm themselves. Don't laugh, its happened.

          It has indeed. What a messed up world...

        • Thats ridiculous. Everyone knows you need to call 911 for suicide by cop.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ichthus ( 72442 )
          Don't laugh, its happened.

          Oh no. I laughed before I read your disclaimer.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by NFN_NLN ( 633283 )

        >> Can't wait for the first time someone fat-fingers an 888 number and dials 988 instead...

        > Why? What terrible thing will happen?

        "Hello 988, do you feel like you want to kill yourself?"

        "uhhh, no. Sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number."

        "Yeah, well why don't you smoke the end of a shotgun you fat-fingered a-hole!... but before you do, please call back."

    • Should have made the sequence 0118 999 881 999 119 725...3.

    • Care to clue the non-US boy in so I can laugh too, what's 888?

    • 988 is easy to remember because it is a prototype for the successor for the 918. So it works well together with 911.
      But 930 would be the best choice.

    • Can't wait for the first time someone fat-fingers an 888 number and dials 988 instead...

      Why would someone type 888 without anything after it? Do you also try dialing area codes without an actual rest of the phone number?
      And if someone fat fingers 988 what happens? A 2 second call with a therapist before saying sorry wrong number? Oh the humanity of it all, watterweretheythinking!

  • It's a fact [npr.org], which is documented [nytimes.com], in many places [nytimes.com]. Trending increases in suicide rates among whites are a problem. It's okay to be white and it's not okay for everyone to treat white folks like a punching bag and a devil behind every problem.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      You know, when anybody tells me about "white privilege" or "male privilege" or some such crap, I immediately classify them as members of some cult trying to sell an ideology. Then I ignore them, because they have nothing positive to contribute to the human endeavor. They just want to get things for free using a "victim" strategy.

      • Sick of It All said it best with their song Just Look Around [youtube.com] a long time ago. What they don't realize is that when you take other people's income or rights the problems will not be ameliorated. You'll get a temporary boost as you get to spend someone else's money, but then you still don't have a job or productive means to help yourself. That's the problem with coercion. It only works until someone can own *their* own politician then they come back for your fucking blood. History is repleat with examples, bu

        • If you take away someone else's rights or money doesn't exactly entail that you'll suddenly get them. All you get is someone else who is as miserable as you are, but why do you think that this improves your situation in any way?

          • I don't. Perhaps I wasn't clear. My position is that rights should be respected. Money is property. Ownership of capital should not be reassigned arbitrarily. That's not freedom, that's the very definition of tyranny.

      • Privilege is not the best choice of words, but it's the one that's stuck.

        Basically what you're saying is that when people try to explain problems you you that you don't experience, you ignore them and remain ignorant. You're also inventing reality to match your biases. I could explain it to you if you like: I'm a white and male, so it's not like I have anything to gain by pointing out my advantage exists.

        • People using words like white privilege generally don’t seem interested in discussion; they want to tell us how it is, while we sit quietly and nod assent. Or maybe they want us to get pissed off, they don’t seem very interested in creating mutual understanding. They want us to be either an “ally” or a racist enemy, there’s no middle ground. “Cult with nothing positive to contribute” seems a fair assessment, not just of the most radical activists, but also (or perha

          • People using words like white privilege generally donâ(TM)t seem interested in discussion

            Some people aren't: the world is big and full of assholes. But we both know that applies to literally everything so there's on much point considering it because all it adds is noise.

            No what people are not interested in is explaining the same basic things again and again and again to "skeptics" who have never bothered to read even the most basic introductory material. Now I'm going to paraphrase what you wrote:

            blah

            • People are trying to explain things to you, but your are not willing to have a conversation. Have you been subjected to official discrimination because of your skin color? Like white people are now? And when they complain, they get the same "white privilege" thrown in their face just like you did? You, sir, are a racist and a bigot. And tone-death.

              • No one is trying to have a conversation with me. They and you are only interested in having your biases confirmed while making completely unsourced accusations about me.

                I have never been the victim of official discrimination, and I am white you moron.

                And I didn't throw "white privilege" in anyone's face. That's you making up lies because you are terrified that if we have an actual discussion, you might have to face up to having been mistaken about some things. Fortunately for you if you continue to spew unt

          • Comment removed based on user account deletion

            • "I don't agree that X is true about Y, but Z is the issue for me" and been slapped down and modded troll by fuckwits who claim I believe "X". So it's very frustrating.

              Isn't it just. Believe me, I'm always willing to discuss, to listen and to argue my point. I prefer a good talk with people who think differently, over having beers with people who think exactly the same. But all too often the response is basically: "disagreeing with me means you are racist". Or they turn racist themselves and claim that "you believe X, and you can't know anything about Y, because you are white".

      • They just want to get things for free using a "victim" strategy.

        What free things do people get? And what are they asking for that you think is unreasonable?

        • How about getting a job created for people with worthless degrees whose main line of work will be to keep people who actually do work from getting shit done by making them jump through hoops?

          I'm IT security, keeping people from getting shit done and making them jump through hoops is my job! Stop poaching, gender studies majors!

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Remember that lady in the park who called the cops because a black man asked her to obey the park rules by keeping her dog on a leash? And then lied to the 911 operator by saying that the guy was threatening her life?

        Why do you think she did that? Seems like she thought that for some reason the cops would take her side, believe her lies. She could see she was being filmed and did it anyway, she was so confident of being treated as the victim.

        Fortunately times are changing and she was wrong, but she isn't th

    • What Chris Rock said 20 years ago is still true today - "none of you white people would trade places with me, and I'm rich!"

  • The best I could some up with is WUT. I wonder if they considered 343 (DIE).

  • Now we will be able to finally clear up the distinction between suicide and auto-erotic asphyxiation [wikipedia.org]. It will be easier for the real suicidal people to get help, and families won't be able to pretend any longer that Johnny was 'troubled' when he really just wanked waaaaay too much.

  • The song is a bit .. well, yeah, but that part [youtube.com] should do nicely. And it might solve a couple cases without needing human interaction.

  • surely it doesn't take 2 years to get a phone number changed.

    Please note this post is sarcastic, please network engineers don't get angry.

  • At least now all those people on reddit, io9, Facebook, reddit, and even here who disagree with my politics can follow their "kill yourself" posts with a helpful
    Hotline.

  • Oh why does it take 2 years to actually implement it? If they really want it, it could be done by the end of this week.
  • Because they didn't want to make it possible to have a Sept 22nd, where a massive government coordinated hippy LSD attack drives NYC completely insane.

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