Bill C-300 An Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention passed through House of Commons second reading by a multi-party majority of 285-3, Feb 15.OTTAWA (CCN)—A national suicide prevention bill received overwhelming multi-party support Feb. 15, sailing through a second reading vote 285-3 in the House of Commons Feb. 15.
A national suicide prevention strategy was among the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC) that the bill’s sponsor, Conservative MP Harold Albrecht chaired with NDP MP Joe Cormatin.
The PCPCC issued its report last November. Suicide prevention was one of its pillars. The other two pillars were: establishing access to good palliative care across Canada and a strategy to combat elder abuse.
“I hope the other pillars in the CPCC report get the same attention and support from our elected representatives,” said Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) director Michele Boulva in an interview. She commended Albrecht “for his incredible work in favor of human life and dignity.”
Bill C-300 An Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, now goes to committee for further study.
“At the heart of this bill is a clear call for national leadership, a coordination of the great efforts of many community groups across Canada, suicide prevention groups already doing all they can to bring hope,” Albrecht told the House of Commons.
“We all know someone whose sense of hope was overcome by emotional pain and despair and consequently ended his or her life by suicide,” Albrecht said. “The big problem is that suicide does not end the pain. It simply transfers it to family and community.”
“Bill C-300 acknowledges the complex nature of suicide and suicide prevention. We need to consider the biological, psychological, social and spiritual factors,” he said. “We cannot pass all of the responsibility to government. We must remain our brother's keeper even and especially at their most vulnerable points.”
“We as a Parliament can and must do more to protect this sacred gift of human life,” he said.
The bill would “create a framework for suicide prevention,” Comartin told the House during debate on the bill. “It would recognize suicide as both a mental health and a public health issue.. . . It would designate the appropriate entity within the Government of Canada to deal with and assume responsibility for the program.”
“The program would be designed to improve public awareness, disseminate information on suicide and on suicide prevention, and make statistics publicly available so that we would be more knowledgeable on the issue. It would define best practices for prevention,” he said.
The agency would work to overcome the isolation of various groups working in the field, and promote collaboration among the NGO and health communities, the provinces and territories, he said.
Comartin pointed out that Quebec put into place a suicide prevention plan that was developed federally but never implemented. In doing so, Quebec has reduced its suicide rate by 50 per cent, he said.
“It is very interesting that such a positive initiative was inspired by a Quebec program,” Boulva said.
She noted the vote comes as the Quebec Select Committee on Dying with Dignity is about to release the results of its province-wide consultations. “Many are worried the report will open the door to euthanasia and assisted suicide,” she said.
“I hope all Canadians will realize the contradiction there would be in eventually legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia while at the same time trying to prevent suicide through a bill like this,” she said.
The debate in the House on Bill C-300 brought to light the tremendous toll suicide takes on Canadian society.
“Suicide deaths and attempts cost the Canadian economy over $14.7 billion annually,” said Liberal MP Hedy Fry, a physician. “If we are not moved by the human problem here, we should know that the $14.7 billion could go to other parts of health care to help all kinds of problems, including via measures for prevention, promotion, and setting up of community clinics, et cetera.”
Fry outlined the sobering statistics. “The national rate of suicide in Canada is 15 out of 100,000 people,” she said. “Now, in 2012, it is 73% higher than it was in the 1950s. For every suicide, there are 100 failed attempts.”
“The rate of suicide is higher among men. We know that 23 out of every 100,000 men will attempt suicide as opposed to 6 out of 100,000 women, although women are three to four times more likely to attempt as opposed to actually complete suicide,” she said. “It is the second leading cause of death among Canadian youth aged 10 to 24. In fact, the suicide rate for Canadian youth is the third highest in the industrialized world.”
Suicide is a leading cause of death in men between the ages of 25-29, and 40-44, she said.
Some populations have a higher incidence of suicide, she said: “those in the armed forces have a three times higher rate of suicide than the general population; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons have a seven times higher rate of suicide than heterosexual youth;” “suicide is the leading cause of death in aboriginal males aged 10 to 19;” and “the suicide rate of first nations is five to seven times higher than that of the non-first nations population.”
“The suicide rate for Inuit youth is among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average,” she said.
She noted Quebec’s consolidation and coordination of suicide prevention services has led to the 50 per cent drop over the past ten years.
OTTAWA (CCN)—A national suicide prevention bill received overwhelming multi-party support Feb. 15, sailing through a second reading vote 285-3in the House of Commons Feb. 15.
A national suicide prevention strategy was among the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC) that the bill’s sponsor, Conservative MP Harold Albrecht chaired with NDP MP Joe Cormatin.
The PCPCC issued its report last November. Suicide prevention was one of its pillars. The other two pillars were: establishing access to good palliative care across Canada and a strategy to combat elder abuse.
“I hope the other pillars in the CPCC report get the same attention and support from our elected representatives,” said Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) director Michele Boulva in an interview. She commended Albrecht “for his incredible work in favor of human life and dignity.”
Bill C-300 An Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, now goes to committee for further study.
“At the heart of this bill is a clear call for national leadership, a coordination of the great efforts of many community groups across Canada, suicide prevention groups already doing all they can to bring hope,” Albrecht told the House of Commons.
“We all know someone whose sense of hope was overcome by emotional pain and despair and consequently ended his or her life by suicide,” Albrecht said. “The big problem is that suicide does not end the pain. It simply transfers it to family and community.”
“Bill C-300 acknowledges the complex nature of suicide and suicide prevention. We need to consider the biological, psychological, social and spiritual factors,” he said. “We cannot pass all of the responsibility to government. We must remain our brother's keeper even and especially at their most vulnerable points.”
“We as a Parliament can and must do more to protect this sacred gift of human life,” he said.
The bill would “create a framework for suicide prevention,” Comartin told the House during debate on the bill. “It would recognize suicide as both a mental health and a public health issue.. . . It would designate the appropriate entity within the Government of Canada to deal with and assume responsibility for the program.”
“The program would be designed to improve public awareness, disseminate information on suicide and on suicide prevention, and make statistics publicly available so that we would be more knowledgeable on the issue. It would define best practices for prevention,” he said.
The agency would work to overcome the isolation of various groups working in the field, and promote collaboration among the NGO and health communities, the provinces and territories, he said.
Comartin pointed out that Quebec put into place a suicide prevention plan that was developed federally but never implemented. In doing so, Quebec has reduced its suicide rate by 50 per cent, he said.
“It is very interesting that such a positive initiative was inspired by a Quebec program,” Boulva said.
She noted the vote comes as the Quebec Select Committee on Dying with Dignity is about to release the results of its province-wide consultations. “Many are worried the report will open the door to euthanasia and assisted suicide,” she said.
“I hope all Canadians will realize the contradiction there would be in eventually legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia while at the same time trying to prevent suicide through a bill like this,” she said.
The debate in the House on Bill C-300 brought to light the tremendous toll suicide takes on Canadian society.
“Suicide deaths and attempts cost the Canadian economy over $14.7 billion annually,” said Liberal MP Hedy Fry, a physician. “If we are not moved by the human problem here, we should know that the $14.7 billion could go to other parts of health care to help all kinds of problems, including via measures for prevention, promotion, and setting up of community clinics, et cetera.”
Fry outlined the sobering statistics. “The national rate of suicide in Canada is 15 out of 100,000 people,” she said. “Now, in 2012, it is 73% higher than it was in the 1950s. For every suicide, there are 100 failed attempts.”
“The rate of suicide is higher among men. We know that 23 out of every 100,000 men will attempt suicide as opposed to 6 out of 100,000 women, although women are three to four times more likely to attempt as opposed to actually complete suicide,” she said. “It is the second leading cause of death among Canadian youth aged 10 to 24. In fact, the suicide rate for Canadian youth is the third highest in the industrialized world.”
Suicide is a leading cause of death in men between the ages of 25-29, and 40-44, she said.
Some populations have a higher incidence of suicide, she said: “those in the armed forces have a three times higher rate of suicide than the general population; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons have a seven times higher rate of suicide than heterosexual youth;” “suicide is the leading cause of death in aboriginal males aged 10 to 19;” and “the suicide rate of first nations is five to seven times higher than that of the non-first nations population.”
“The suicide rate for Inuit youth is among the highest in the world, at 11 times the national average,” she said.
She noted Quebec’s consolidation and coordination of suicide prevention services has led to the 50 per cent drop over the past ten years.
