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Show Growing problem: teenage suicide I By BETTY CONDIE President Utah Education Association After a Japanese teenage singing idol killer herself earlier this year, several of her fans imitated her and committed suicide in the weeks fol- lowing her death. These desperate children are zz victims of a growing problem-teenage problem-teenage suicide. t!- It is ironic that the group which should be most robust and healthy- ? -teenagers-have a soaring death j rate. Suicide has become the J second leading cause of death among teenagers. The number one 3 cause is accident. Last year Utah ranked four- teenth from the top nationally in the number of suicides per 100,000 " j population. Health care professionals tell us i many of the children who attempt j suicide seek help at some point ' prior to killing themselves. Some of the early warning signs are de- j pression, anti-social behavior, and i deteriorating school work. ' Most young victims come from a j family with a history of depression and alcohol or drug abuse. Many of 1 them use drugs and alcohol in ; attempts to mask their despair and depression. j Dr. Dennis Cantwell of UCLA Medical School makes these obser-. vations: : -Children living in the Western States are more likely to attempt suicide than those in the South or . the East. -Boys attempt suicide five times more often than girls. Children tend to pick an ; anniversary date of some sort on j which to attempt to kill them- j selves. I -Children under the age of 12 : years rarely attempt suicide. j Suicides can be prevented if j those of us who live and work with teenagers tune in to the signs which ; show they are calling for help. ' |