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More teens using suicide hot line through texting

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Jan 31, 2012 at 2:27 pm

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - More teens are using a suicide prevention hot line in Minnesota now that they can text instead of talking with someone directly.

With a $1.4 million federal grant, Carlton County is rolling out a seven-county texting hot line for suicide prevention. The call center is getting as many text messages from teens in a day as it used to get phone calls from teens in a month.

Since the program started keeping track in November, about 160 people have texted counselors.

The Duluth News Tribune says representatives from the Carlton County Public Health and Human Services Department is meeting with school districts and mental health centers in St. Louis, Cook, Lake, Aitkin, Itasca and Koochiching counties to publicize the texting number.