A campaign to get 100,000 Londoners to take a suicide awareness course to help prevent people taking their lives was launched today.
The number of suicides in the capital rose by 16.4 per cent to 661 last year, surpassing the 11.8 per cent increase seen nationally.
Suicide is at its highest rate in the UK in five years, with 6,507 deaths last year. It is the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 29.
There is mounting concern at sharp increases in the number of deaths of males aged 10 to 24, up 26 per cent year on year to 542, and females aged 10 to 24, up 83 per cent since 2012 to 188 last year.
Today Sadiq Khan marked World Suicide Prevention Day by encouraging Londoners to take an online course to help provide support to people in crisis.
The 20-minute Zero Suicide Alliance course, which the Mayor has completed, explains how to have a direct, honest conversation about suicide with friends and family.
Mr Khan said: “Suicide is a tragedy, for those who take their own life and for the loved ones they leave behind. It’s important that we break the stigma of talking about suicide.”
