The House of Commons passed the Second Reading of Bill C300, an Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention on February 15, 2012 by a vote of 285 in favour and 3 opposed.
Bill C300 will require the federal government to oversee a number of functions vital to suicide prevention, which include:
- Recognition of suicide as a public health issue;
- Provision of guidelines to improve public awareness around suicide;
- Dissemination of information about suicide and suicide prevention;
- Release of public statistics around suicide, and its risk factors;
- Promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange across the country;
- Defining best practices for suicide prevention;
- Promotion of evidence-based practices;
- Regular reporting to Parliament regarding progress of the framework
Bill C300 must still clear final stages of Committee and the Senate before it becomes law.
To watch the YouTube video of the press conference, go towww.youtube.com.
To read the official press release, go to www.yourlifecounts.org.