Dying in despair

Coroner's report proves suicide rate growing

Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 21/01) - Chief coroner Percy Kinney says it's a wake up call. Rising suicide rates among young males in the Northwest Territories is a reminder to law makers and educators that Northerners are dying in despair.

His 1999 annual report was released last week after months of production delays.

Percy Kinney

Background 81 deaths were investigated by 46 NWT coroners in 1999; 40 deaths were natural, 22 accidental, 16 suicide and three undetermined. alcohol was a factor in all categories, more so in accidental deaths. suicides jumped 44 per cent, from seven deaths in 1998 to 16 deaths in 1999. Men are more likely to take their lives than women; 14 of the 16 suicides were male (88 per cent). drowning and cold exposure accounted for the highest percentage of accidental deaths. alcohol was a factor in 13 of the 22 accidental deaths. Sources: Chief coroner Percy Kinney and the Northwest Territories Coroner's 1999 Annual Report.

By no means the first glimpse at Northern suicide or alcohol-related deaths, the 20-page document offers a startling look at the increase in men ending their lives between the ages of 15-24 with firearms or by hanging: 14 of the 16 deaths in 1999 were men: double the number from the previous year.

In 1999, one teen hung himself within a year of two classmates committing suicide.

The report does not state where the death occurred.

"I mean, geez, what can be wrong in your life at 14 that you'd do that?" Kinney said.

Equally tragic, he said, is the number of friends and family who saw it coming.

"We've seen a pattern. People didn't realize they had a role to play in helping someone at risk," he said.

He commends the work educators and health professional do. More needs to be done, especially given the similar stats for 2000, he said. The 2000 report is expected to be delivered to the government in April.

"Prevention isn't working. The numbers are not getting smaller," Kinney said. "We need to have it entrenched in the school system -- with your A B Cs and your 1 2 3s."

Conferences like the "Honouring the Spirit of Our Children," which wrapped up in Yellowknife this week, should help school counsellors and health care professionals offer more suicide prevention modules.

The coroner's 1999 report went to various government departments as a statistical tool with five recommendations, four recommendations which deal with youth and infant issues.

"All deaths are tragic but youths are the future of our territory and it's an on-going issue we desperately need to address."

A 24-hour crisis line is listed in the white pages under "Help Line."