Don't take it lightly! Suicide among a particular set of Americans is on the rise.
Transcript
[Darris McNeely] Do you know any middle-aged, white Americans who may be struggling with alcohol or drug addiction? Chances are you may. And if you do, don’t take it lightly. There’s a recent study I was reading about this morning that shows that the suicide rate for that particular category of white, middle-aged Americans has dramatically risen in the last fifteen years to near-epidemic proportions. Hundreds of thousands – upwards of a half a million individuals – take their lives as a result of addiction to alcohol or to drugs, and their general depression is a result of the life that they are living.
Indicators show that this is also something that is more dramatic among those with less than a college degree, less than a college education. It is something on the par of – even greater than – an Ebola scare that grabs the headlines, frightens everyone, and it’s actually these numbers are reaching up to the HIV/AIDS level of epidemic status in American society and American culture.
This article that was talking about it shows that the mortality rate for white men and women ages 45 to 54 with less than a college education increased dramatically between 1999 and 2013. And the most likely problems were alcohol and drug addiction. This is epidemic proportions, and it is something to take seriously. That’s why I say, if you know someone struggling with those problems, especially in that age category, with other problems in their life – not happy, depressed, struggling to be successful – don’t take it lightly. Take it seriously, be with them, encourage them, help them to move through that particular phase of life they’re going through to a solution. Be there and be near.
On Beyond Today, we take these social problems very seriously. That article or study like this that has just come out is something that is quite alarming for us and I know that it will be for many in our audience who know people who are struggling with that. We have done programs, for instance, on alcoholism, the importance of overcoming alcoholism – which it can be overcome, it can be dealt with. Drug addiction is in the same category. We have provided much help for that. We encourage you to help others and point them in the direction, ultimately, to trained sources that can give them help, and ultimately as well, to God, to the Bible, to achieve a purpose and a meaning in their lives. Don’t take it lightly if you know someone in that category. It is a very, very serious epidemic that seems to be on the increase in American society.
