http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/3639152.stm

Nearly a million people take their own lives every year, more than those
murdered or killed in war.
World Health Organisation figures show a suicide takes place somewhere in
the world every 40 seconds.

The numbers are highest in Europe's Baltic states, where around 40 people
per 100,000 commit suicide each year.

With World Suicide Prevention Day approaching on Friday, the WHO says the
toll could be reduced with greater public awareness and political will.

"Suicide is a major public health problem and accounts for 1.5% of the total
cost of disease to world society," said Jose Bertolote, mental health
specialist at the WHO.

While men make up most suicides, more women actually attempt to take their
own lives.

There are an estimated 10-to-20 million attempted suicides each year.

Guns

"Men usually resort to more definitive measures than women," says Lars
Mehlum, president of the International Association for Suicide Prevention
(IASP).

The elderly are statistically the most likely to kill themselves, though men
aged between 15 and 29 are doing so more and more.

The IASP says this is largely because of the availability of guns.

"Guns are the most lethal instrument of suicide. Few people survive attempts
to shoot themselves," Mr Mehlum said.

Some countries, like the United States, were resisting attempts to reduce
the number in circulation, he said.

Drinking pesticides


China, where 195,000 people committed suicide in the last year for which
figures were available, is unusual in that female suicides outnumber male
ones.

Mr Mehlum said the high rate among women in the Chinese countryside was down
to their drinking highly toxic pesticides, which are often banned elsewhere.

He said tighter restrictions would cut the death rate.

Although the most recent figures from some countries are more than 20 years
old, while others did not report at all, the WHO said a picture of world
suicide rates could be assembled.

Alcoholism

The biggest problem appears to be in the Baltic and former Soviet or
communist states.

In 2000, in Lithuania, an estimated 42 people in every 100,000 committed
suicide. In Estonia the figure was 40 and in Russia 38.

The IASP suggested high alcoholism rates might explain the number of deaths
in Eastern Europe.

In Lithuania the rate among men was more than 80 per 100,000.

The region with the lowest rate is Latin America.

There were few reliable figures for Africa.



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