Lizbeth Benacquisto, Dane Eagle Team Up on Youth Suicide Prevention Bill

Noting a rising trend of young people attempting suicide, state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Ft. Myers, and state Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, filed a bill to provide educators in elementary, middle and high schools two hours of continuing education credits and inservice training on suicide prevention.  

 
“Each day in our nation there is an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by young people grades 7-12, and evidence suggests many of these children began thinking about it even earlier. Florida must equip our teachers with the ability to identify at risk youth,” Benacquisto said on Thursday.  “Supplying our educators with training in youth suicide awareness will give them knowledge and skills to identify and prevent this epidemic from continuing. I am excited to work on this important piece of legislation with Rep. Eagle, a strong member of the Lee County Delegation.”
 
“More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, birth defects, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined," Eagle said. “Youth suicide is preventable and the answer to building a successful youth suicide prevention program is education. I greatly appreciate Sen. Benacquisto’s leadership on this issue, and I am proud to work with her on this important legislation to ensure our teachers are trained to detect the warning signs of suicide and stem the tide of this silent epidemic.”