The City of Delta is wholeheartedly supporting the idea of a new country-wide suicide prevention hotline.
Council recently agreed with a request from the City of Langley to convey support for an initiative announced last year to establish a three-digit national suicide prevention phone number.
In December, Parliament unanimously passed a motion for the federal government to consolidate current suicide crisis numbers into one, three-digit hotline.
It would enable people to dial 9-8-8 for immediate assistance.
The motion was put forward by Cariboo-Prince George Conservative MP Todd Doherty, who called on government to establish a national suicide prevention line that would replace the 10-digits of Canada’s Suicide Prevention Service (833-456-4566) and consolidate other crises lines.
Anyone calling the three-digit number would be connected with a service in their area, but the 9-8-8 feature may not be in effect until 2023.
City of Langley council endorsed a motion that noted the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for suicide prevention services by 200 per cent, and that existing suicide prevention hotlines require the user to remember a 10-digit number and go through directories, or placed on hold.
Langley’s motion also noted that in 2022 the United States will have in place a national 9-8-8 crisis hotline.
The motion states “it is a significant and important initiative to ensure critical barriers are removed to those in a crisis and seeking help.”
Delta council agreed to follow the City of Langley in having staff send letters to its local MP, MLAs, federal minister of health, the CRTC and other municipalities to indicate support.
Delta will also send correspondence to B.C. Premier John Horgan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
