"An average of 17 veterans in the U.S. die by suicide every day, not in distant places, but at home. ”
According to the White House on November 2, US President Biden announced a veteran suicide prevention strategy when he attended the twenty-sixth conference of the Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, Scotland, England, which includes safe storage of firearms and code of conduct recommendations for gun dealers.
The new strategy outlines five priorities for reducing suicides among military and veterans. Source: White House
According to the White House, the Justice Department will soon finalize a regulation clarifying gun dealers, which includes providing safe gun storage or safety devices for gun buyers to buy. At the same time, the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Administration will issue best practice guidelines to all firearms dealers (ATFs) to ensure the safety of people and communities.
U.S. President Joe Biden said, "An average of 17 veterans die by suicide every day, not dying in distant places, but choosing to commit suicide at home." Two active-duty soldiers die by suicide every day of the year. They are our daughters, sons, parents, partners, brothers and sisters, beloved friends and comrades-in-arms. ”
A soldier tied a yellow ribbon to a tree, representing the 46 active sailors who lost their lives to suicide in 2019. Source: Military Times
According to CNN reported on the 2nd, the newly announced veteran suicide prevention strategy is to establish the "Red Flag Act", according to the White House news on April 7, Biden has instructed the US Department of Justice to issue a model "Red Flag Act" ("red flag") for states, prohibiting offensive weapons and large-capacity magazines, abolishing the liability exemption of gun manufacturers, and investing in evidence-based community violence intervention.
According to the Virginia Suicide Report, more than 68 percent of veteran suicides in 2018 involved firearms.
The U.S. government took initial action in response to gun violence. Source: Official website of the White House
Biden has said he would like to see the U.S. Congress pass a national "Red Flag Act" and encourage states to enact their own Red Flag Act.
As part of the Veterans Suicide Prevention Strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Emergency Medical Services will work together to develop the strategy to address the veteran suicide rate.
According to a study by the Costs of War Project of Brown University in the United States on the 1st, the suicide rate of veterans and active military personnel has risen faster than the general population, with as many as 30,177 veterans dying by suicide since 9/11, while the number of military personnel who died during the war was 7,057.
According to a November 2020 report on veteran suicide rates released by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials, the overall suicide rate remained largely unchanged from 2005 to 2018, with 17 to 18 veterans committing suicides every day. In 2018, the suicide rate among veterans was 17.6 cases per day, or about 27.5 per 100,000 people, a slight increase from 17.5 in 2017.
"The findings documented in this report highlight the persistence and growing problem of suicide among U.S. adults and veterans, and we need to continually work to improve ways to reduce the risk of suicide," the report states. ”
Annual report on veteran suicide. Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs