A simple way to help save young lives (Viewpoint)

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During my freshman year in high school, I lost a close friend to suicide. That loss left a lasting impression on me and my community, and it made clear just how important it is for young people to know where to turn when they’re struggling.

A year later, I proposed to my high school, Saint John’s in Shrewsbury, that we add the suicide hotline number to student ID cards. The idea was simple, but our administration fortunately saw the value immediately.

By the start of the school year, every student carried their ID with the lifeline in their pocket.

It wasn’t just the addition of a number. It was a remi