Lynette Vega knows the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. Her daughter, Rachelle, was only 23 years-old when she took her own life while serving in the U.S. Air Force.Â
"It is the worst thing that any parent could experience and I don't wish that on anyone," Vega said.
Vega testified in front of the Assembly Committee on Education, hoping AB 114 will help prevent these kinds of deaths.
"She didn't want to die," Vega said. "She only wanted the pain to end and she didn't know how to stop her pain. Most people who die by suicide do not want to die. They only want their pain to end."
The Elko County educator is hoping lawmakers will pass the bill. It would require schools to teach suicide prevention classes to students in grades 5-12. Each school district would determine how to implement the program.
"We need to get this bill passed in order to teach kids coping skills and the life skills that they need to get passed those bad moments, the bad times," Vega said.
The bill would also require some school staff to get training to recognize the signs associated with suicide or depression. Assem. John Ellison is the bill's sponsor. He says it is important to teach students about suicide prevention at a young age to let them know there are people that can help them during a crisis.
"I think the most important thing is they can go to their teacher or they can go to their friends and their friends can tell a teacher something but the education let them know what's going on," Ellison, R-Elko said.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says 650 people took their own lives in Nevada in 2018, with the sixth-highest rate in the country.  Â
"There's help out there and if they have a friend that's suffering or considering suicide, that opens the door to get the guys talking and to get it to the right people," Ellison said.
Some committee members question if fifth-graders are mature enough to handle this kind of discussion but a dispatcher from Elko testified that they have had kids as young as six years-old attempt suicide. Assem. Tyrone Thompson is the Chair of the Committee on Education. He says the bill brings up some important points.
"I heard that students need coping skills," Thompson, D-North Las Vegas said. "I heard that teachers need training and different types of training, not just the same video that they might watch. It showed also the work we've already been doing at the state."
That includes the use of "Safe Voice". The app allows students to report issues, anonymously. He is hoping more students in crisis continue to use the technology, since most teenagers constantly have their phones with them. Thompson says the committee is a good way to discuss the bill and find ways to improve the bill.
"Good discussion," Thompson said. "I really want to applaud the parents that were able to come forth. I can only imagine how difficult that is but I love the fact that they've changed that to advocacy."
Anyone who is thinking about suicide is encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
