Parliamentary majority in sight for suicide prevention law

A law legally guaranteeing free access to suicide prevention hotline 113 and officially making the government responsible for reducing the number of suicides will likely get majority support in parliament. The ChristenUnie law already has the support of 71 of the 150 parliamentarians, and more parties are expected to vote in its favor, NOS reports.

According to ChristenUnie leader Mirjam Bikker, prevention line 113 has proven to prevent suicide attempts. Its continued existence cannot be dependent on the political issues of the day, and financing must, therefore, become a legal task, she told the broadcaster.

The law also states that the government will allocate a total of 10 million euros per year to the Dutch municipalities to develop suicide-preventing policies. The municipalities can decide for themselves how to use that money. For example, by investing in solving struggling residents’ financial problems or placing gates along railway intersections often used for suicide attempts.

Every day, about five people take their own lives in the Netherlands. Several tens of thousands of people make an attempt to end their lives per year. “I think it is so important that we have a policy to reduce that number,” Bikker said. “The fact that people are so desperate and see no other way out is terrible. For them, but also for the family left behind.”

The bill already has the support of the ChristenUnie, CDA, GroenLinks-PvdA, SP, SGP, 50Plus, NSC, BBB, and PvdD. That accounts for 71 of the 150 seats in parliament.