Across the country, suicide rates have risen steadily since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ohio, the tragedy is even larger. While the national rate is 14.3 per 100,000 people, here the rate is 15.4 per 100,000.

To address the problem, state officials have developed the Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio 2024-2026, according to a report by the news website Axios.

“The heartbreak of losing a family member to suicide is a pain that cuts deep, leaving behind a void that words can’t fully capture,” Gov. Mike DeWine said.

Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and Health Policy Institute of Ohio created the plan, which includes a number of approaches. Workplaces and schools are being urged to better identify those at risk and connect them with mental health resources, according to Axios.

Primary and specialty health care providers are being urged to include routine suicide screenings as part of patients’ visits.

And — this is a big one — education efforts are being increased on the safe storage of firearms. According to Axios, the majority of Ohio suicides involve a firearm.

There’s also an effort to do a better job promoting the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline that has been in place since 2022.

“Suicide is at a crisis level, and it will take a statewide effort to reduce the rate of loss,” OSPF Executive Director Tony Coder wrote, according to Axios.

Each of us can play a part in that effort, even if it is taking steps as simple as safely storing firearms and prescription medications, keeping an eye out for warning signs and talking about the availability of the suicide prevention hotline.

Inconvenient or uncomfortable? Think about the alternative.