epidemic of suicides (Ahousaht, British Columbia)

[The Straight Story]

Ahousaht asks for help.

AHOUSAHT, British Columbia - The remote community of Ahousaht is dealing with an epidemic and is calling for professional help.

Located on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Ahousaht is located on a small island 40 minutes north of Tofino by boat.

An epidemic of suicides has devastated the community over the past few months, and community and health industry leaders from around Vancouver Island gathered in a small Ahousaht church to work toward solutions.

''Ahousaht is on its knees right now and we're trying to stand up, but we need help,'' said Dave Frank Sr., manager of the Ahousaht Holistic Center. His son tried to hang himself only six weeks earlier. ''It has been a very difficult year for us and we are in crisis,'' he said.

Last year, there were 19 suicide attempts in Ahousaht, and one suicide death on Dec. 26, 2004. Many people feel the Boxing Day suicide opened the floodgates, and in only six months of 2005 there have been more than 40 suicide attempts and one suicide death in Ahousaht. Some people have attempted suicide more than a dozen times, which fuels the already staggering statistics. Seventy-eight percent of the suicide attempts in Ahousaht were attempted overdoses.

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096411147

[Kraklen]

1. Let me guess.

No jobs. Extreme poverty. No future.

Sounds like the gas huffing teenagers in Nunavut (sp?)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Severe depression.