Confronting suicide - Stigma must be ended

IN another irony of the day, suicide charity Console is finding it more difficult to raise funds just as demand for its services grow.

Console is not the only charity facing this dilemma but because of the field it works in, the impact is all the more tragic. However, funding is not the only issue surrounding suicide. Social stigma surrounding the all-too-common tragedy is a huge difficulty and should be confronted.

Launching Snowdrop Day 2009 Minister of State John Moloney called for a cultural change. Each of us should examine our attitude to this tragic situation. Rather than feel angry and disappointed we might ask what we can do to create an environment where this awful circumstance is far less commonplace.