HHS students launch anti-suicide effort

For 30 years, Montana has ranked among the top five states with the highest rates of suicide in all age groups.

According to the 2015 “Suicide Prevention in Montana Legislative Update,” in 2013 there were 231 suicides in Montana for a rate of 22.8 per 100,000 people compared to a national rate of around 13 per 100,000 people.

Eighteen-year-old Hannah Pepprock, a Havre High School senior and president of the school’s Key Club, plans to change the lives of others concerning this issue by bringing suicide awareness to the community.

After weeks of planning, Pepprock, along with the Key Club, has finalized the dates for a suicide awareness week at HHS.

This will take place Tuesday, Feb. 17, through Friday, Feb. 20.

For the first day of the awareness week, Pepprock said depression screening brochures will be handed out to the entire student body at HHS.

“The brochure also lists some resources in the community that they can go to,” she said.

Additionally, Jackie Fitzgerald of Voices of Hope in Great Falls will be speaking to the students and faculty.

Fitzgerald will also be speaking at Havre Middle School.

Wednesday of the awareness week will focus on self-harm.

Wristbands that read “Speak Up — Reach Out — Suicide Awareness” will be handed out to the entire student body.

“They are turquoise, purple and white. Turquoise and purple are the awareness colors for suicide,” Pepprock said. “On the inside of the wristband is the suicide prevention lifeline number.”

Thursday of the awareness week will focus on firearm safety.

“We plan on having various law enforcement officers come in during our lunch time,” Pepprock said. “(They will) set up in the classrooms and present different aspects of firearm safety.”

On the final day of the awareness week, Pepprock said, there will be a summary recap of everything discussed throughout the week.

“We’ll ask the students and staff to wear either turquoise or purple that day,” she said. “That will happen at the Middle School as well, I believe.”

Pepprock also said that on each day of the awareness week, posters will be placed throughout the campus with information concerning each day’s topic.

Pepprock added that people are generally afraid to talk about suicide and self-harm.

“Once you put it in their face and make them realize that it is happening and that it is preventable — it makes a big difference,” she said.

Pepprock and her team hope to bring this awareness to the community of Havre as well.

The group plans to put up posters around town and distribute  handouts that give gun retailers tips on being able to recognize if their customers are suicidal.

The awareness efforts extend to faculty, as well.

“One of the important parts about this is helping our faculty be able to recognize the signs and symptoms, as well as our students and the community members,” she said. “Everybody needs to be on the same page for it to be a general awareness.”

For more information on this project, contact Key Club adviser John Ita at 265-6731.