"Suicide Prevention Canton Zurich" with medication return campaign
As part of the successful cantonal priority program suicide prevention, another measure is being implemented: In the coming weeks, a return campaign for medications will take place.
Suicides and suicide attempts usually occur in connection with great personal suffering and leave bereaved families, rescue workers and other affected professional groups in a situation that is difficult to cope with. For this reason, two years ago the Zurich government launched the broad-based priority program "Suicide Prevention Canton of Zurich" and commissioned "Prevention and Health Promotion Canton of Zurich" to coordinate it. The program aims to help people in suicidal crises and their environment are supported. The medication return campaign is a concrete turnover campaign.
Numerous measures have been implemented over the past two years. For example, flyers with emergency cards - a credit card-sized card with the most important emergency numbers - were distributed through family doctors' offices and pharmacies. A Suicide Prevention Helpline for professionals from the health, education and social sectors. Other projects start directly at institutions, in psychiatry, in hospitals or in old people's homes. All projects and offers are described on the homepage of the Canton of Zurich; emergency cards can also be ordered here.
Medication return: a contribution to suicide prevention.
In time for the World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10, a public campaign is now drawing attention to the possibility of returning expired and no longer needed medicines. Medicines can be returned to any pharmacy or drugstore in the canton of Zurich. The Pharmacies and drugstores provide carrier bags for this purpose - but the return is also possible without these bags. The campaign is supported by the cantonal association of pharmacists and druggists and will run until the end of the month. The return campaign removes medications that could be used for a suicide attempt in an acute life crisis from private households. This limits the Suicide Methods and thus protects every member of the household. This makes a further contribution to suicide prevention.
