Each and every day in the U.S., more than 160 people die as a result of violence due to homicides and suicides.1 These violent deaths constitute an urgent public health problem. Homicide and suicide, taken together, were the fourth leading cause of years of potential life lost in the U.S. in 2014.2 Each year, more than 55,000 people die in the U.S. as a result of violence-related injuries.3 In 2014, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death, claiming more than 42,000 lives1 and resulting in an economic cost estimated to be $53.2 billion, largely associated with lost work productivity.
