193-J:1 Legislative Purpose. –
The general court finds that:
I. Suicide cuts across ethnic, economic, social, and age boundaries and has a tremendous and traumatic impact on surviving family members, friends, and the community at-large.
II. After unintentional injury, suicide is the leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 24. At a time when unintentional injuries have been on the decline, suicides have increased.
III. In 2008, the state board of education, under RSA 186:11, was charged with providing "information about youth suicide prevention to all public and private schools to facilitate the delivery of appropriate courses and programs."
IV. The legislature recognizes that suicide is a complex issue that requires school, family, and community resources to be harnessed for appropriate and timely help to be available to New Hampshire students in order to prevent suicide.
V. The purpose of this chapter is to reduce the number of suicides in our school population by ensuring that suicide prevention education and training is available to school personnel and to students and their parents using age-appropriate and evidence-based materials.