Decline in
completed suicides after black box warnings
Paragraph 7 reads: "Completed youth
suicides are also going down and are among the lowest
rate in the country, Colmers said, although attempted
suicide rates of about three for every 10,000 youth are
about the same.
The health secretary said a decrease in
prescribing antidepressant drugs for children, which have
been associated with suicide, may be contributing to the
decline."
http://www.examiner.com/a-998062~State_officials_say_children_s_health_improving.html
State officials say children’s health improving
Oct 19, 2007 2:00 AM (6 hrs ago)
by
Len Lazarick, The Examiner
BALTIMORE - Maryland children are getting better immunized,
suffering fewer suicides, deaths and injuries, and using
drugs, alcohol and cigarettes less in the last five to 10
years, Cabinet secretaries told lawmakers this week.
“By and large, we’re seeing progress,” said Sen. Rob
Garagiola, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Children,
Youth and Families. The measures are “all tracking and going
down,” and immunizations are going up.
“We’re above the national performance standard in
immunization,” Health Secretary John Colmers told the
committee Tuesday. In Maryland, 84 percent of children under
3 are fully immunized, 1 percent higher than the national
average. The national goal is for 90 percent by 2010.
The school immunization compliance rate is 99 percent,
because “the school system has made massive efforts” to
increase the rate, state Schools Superintendent Nancy
Grasmick said.
But Del. Joanne Benson was still concerned about the 2,300
not immunized in Prince George’s schools. “As a school
system, we’re not doing what we need to do,” said Benson, a
former school administrator in Prince George’s County. She
plans to meet with Colmers and Grasmick to see what more can
be done.
Grasmick said, “There are a number of chronically absent
children,” and there are parents who “have a fear of
immunization” because of concerns about it causing autism.
These parents “have very strong feelings,” she added, and
“they will not sign permission slips” to get their children
inoculated.
Completed youth suicides are also going down and are among
the lowest rate in the country, Colmers said, although
attempted suicide rates of about three for every 10,000
youth are about the same. The health secretary said a
decrease in prescribing antidepressant drugs for children,
which have been associated with suicide, may be contributing
to the decline.
Rates of attempted suicide among Hispanic youth are going
up, but the number is still small. “The disparities that
we’re seeing tend to be narrow,” Colmers said.
Unintentional injuries for youth are also going down,
largely through increased use of seat belts and car seats,
Colmers said.
llazarick@baltimoreexaminer.com
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