Veteran suicide rate in Alabama is 60% higher than the rate for civilians

Reducing Alabama’s high veteran suicide rate

Rocket City News
Posted: Jul 5, 2019

More than 16% of all suicide deaths in Alabama are veterans.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WIAT) — The veteran suicide rate in Alabama is 60% higher than the rate for civilians and 9% higher than other southern states.

It’s estimated that 20 veterans take their own lives each day in the United States. That’s the purpose behind this task force is to provide help to those who need it.

“Anytime you put a human into a high level stressful situation like combat, it does take a toll,” said Kent Davis.

Alabama is home to roughly 400,000 veterans many of them go on to fight the battle aboard but unfortunately come home to fight another battle.

“One of our missions it to handle those hot button issues and veteran suicides is certainly one of those that we’ve identified as something that needs special attention.”

Kent Davis, the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, recently selected Paulette Risher, chief executive officer for Still Serving Veterans and a retired Army major general, to lead the new Task Force on Veterans’ Suicides.

The task force will study ways to reduce veterans suicide as well as the causes of suicides among returning Alabama veterans. The task force will then make recommendations to the Legislature.

Rep. Neil Rafferty submitted the House resolution to create the task force. House Joint Resolution 151 noted that the veteran suicide rate in Alabama was 60% higher than the rate for civilians and 9 percent higher than other southern states. More than 16% of all suicide deaths in Alabama are veterans.
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