Despite years of concerted prevention efforts, suicide remains South Carolina’s quiet killer, claiming about twice as many lives annually as more headline-grabbing causes of death, such as homicide and alcohol-related car crashes.
The numbers, experts say, are stark.
Every year, more than 800 South Carolinians take their own lives, making suicide the 12th leading cause of death in the state — and the third leading cause for teenagers and young adults. And at a rate of 14.68 people per 100,000, S.C.’s suicide rate is notably higher than the national average of 14.12…