Charity launches campaign to counter rise in self-poisoning
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
A campaign to educate young people to help friends who self-harm has been launched after figures revealed the number of people self-poisoning has soared by more than 40 per cent in a decade.
Latest NHS figures show there were 114,000 cases of self-poisoning in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2011, compared to 79,000 in 2001 – a 44 per cent increase.
The British Red Cross says a large proportion of those self-harming are young people – around one in 12 young people are believed to self-harm in some way – with a poll it carried out revealing that 42 per cent of young people said that either they, or someone they knew, had self-harmed.
The charity has launched a campaign to give first aid advice to under-18s on how to help friends who have self-harmed.
A video gives young people tips on what to do if they discover someone has taken a harmful substance – such as prescription or over-the-counter medicine, illicit drugs, or household products.
A Facebook page also incudes 10 pieces of advice on how to help friends who have self-harmed.
Paul Donnelly, head of campaigns at the British Red Cross, said: “Self-harm is a difficult subject for people to talk about, and self-harm by poisoning is something that particularly worried us, as the figures are so high and many people wouldn’t know what to do if they came across a friend or family member who had taken a harmful substance.
"It’s an intimidating subject, but our research shows that young people are concerned about it and need advice.
“It’s vital that we give young people first aid advice that helps them take control of the situation, feel confident to act and maybe even save someone’s life.”
The advice has been developed alongside mental health charity YoungMinds.
