About fifteen of every 100,000 Mainers commit suicide each year. Over 70% range in age from twenty-four through seventy-four. Suicides occur at a rate of about seven times that of murders. See other causes of death.
Suicide by Method 2005 -2009
Suicide by Age 2005 -2009
The method of choice for males is a gun; for women it is poisoning. The good news is that poisoning is one of the least likely methods to be successful. People may be treated in emergency departments and given counseling to minimize later successful attempts.
Additional resources
Harvard of Public Health. “Means Matter: Lethality of Suicide Method.” http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/means-matter/case-fatality/index.html (accessed December 26, 2012)
Maine Department of Health and Human Services. “Maine Suicide Prevention Program.Maine Suicide Prevention Program.” http://www.maine.gov/suicide/ and http://www.maine.gov/suicide/about/data/docs/SuicideFactSheet.pdf (accessed December 26, 2012)