FCC Designates 988 as Suicide Prevention Number

At today's meeting of the Federal Communications Commission, a three digit number was approved for use as a national suicide prevention hotline: 988. The plan "will help combat rising suicide rates by making it easier for Americans in crisis to obtain assistance from trained counselors." The FCC allows two years from today for the new system to be fully implemented. For now, continue using the existing number for the National Suicide Prevention lifeline at 1 (800) 273-8255 or 1 (800) 273-TALK, or other numbers on our "Referrals" page.

For more details, go to https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-designates-988-national-suicide-prevention-lifeline