These areas, experiencing alarming rates of self-inflicted deaths, have been labeled the "suicide belt," spanning across six states. However, the highest numbers are predominantly in the Colorado Rockies. These high-altitude party towns are witnessing a surge in suicides, setting record numbers that baffle experts. This stands in stark contrast to the picturesque lifestyles these locations typically portray.
From The Daily Mail:
Factors leading to the rise include the transient way of life on the slopes, financial instability, isolation from cities, and a lack of decent mental healthcare investment from tourism-focused local governments.
As Victoria Mendoza, a 17-year-old resident of Grand Junction, Colorado, put it to NPR in 2018 after seven teenagers killed themselves in her town that year: 'It feels like there's this cloud around our whole valley.'
For those who choose to live in the mountains, an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life is one of the main attractions; but in recent years, there are growing calls for action from residents who feel not enough is being done to help those struggling.
According to the CDC, four Rockies states made up six with the highest suicide rates in 2021 - with Wyoming's rate over 4.5 times higher than that in New Jersey.
The region, notably New Mexico, Colorado and Montana, has earned the nickname 'Suicide Belt', with towns designed for a vacation away from the city becoming epicenters of the crisis.
Mendoza said that after seven students killed themselves in her town, along with her uncle by suicide years prior, it 'got to the point where we were just waiting for the next one.'
