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wylies99
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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 Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:15 pm Post subject: Fewer Seoul Subway Suicides Stirs Debate |
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All of those screens at subway stations are being installed as suicide prevention. What about addressing the root causes of all of those suicides?
http://blogs.wsj.com/korearealtime/2011/03/08/fewer-seoul-subway-suicides-stirs-debate/
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South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the developed world, but a sharp drop in the number of people that tried to kill themselves by jumping in front of subway trains in Seoul last year following prevention measures is stirring discussion about similar steps at other common suicide sites.
According to a police report, the number of people attempting suicide by jumping from platforms of subway stations in Seoul declined 62% to 29 from 77 in 2009. The decline comes after the installation of screens along many subway platforms that ensure people are unable to get on to the tracks. Most of the deaths occurred at subway stations where screens hadn�t been installed.
Despite that sharp decline, suicide attempts from bridges spanning the main Han River in Seoul rose 30% to 108 last year from 83, according to the report, which was submitted to Rep. Yoon Seok-yong of the ruling Grand National Party.
Kim Sung-hoon, an aide to Rep. Yoon, said the lawmaker, who belongs to the National Assembly�s Health and Welfare Committee, is thinking of ways to reduce the number of suicide attempts at Han River bridges.
�He believes the government should establish stumbling blocks or set up fences near the bridges that are notorious for suicide attempts,� Kim said.
�Years of efforts to install screens at subway stations have made those trying to commit a suicide head towards no-screen stations or Han River bridges where safety checks are still lacking,� said Kim Sung-il, an official at the Korea Association for Suicide Prevention, a non-governmental organization.
He said the government needs to take measures to prevent suicides at the bridges by, for example, setting up fences.
According to the police report, the Hangang Bridge topped the list of attempted suicides at the Han River, at 17 cases, followed by Mapo Bridge with 16 attempts.
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:11 am Post subject: |
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I have two things to remark here...
The first: there is no screen in those 'screen doors'. Hence, they aren't screen doors.
Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:37 am Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
I have two things to remark here...
The first: there is no screen in those 'screen doors'. Hence, they aren't screen doors.
Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
British usage, I think. Any type of sliding door is called a "screen door" even if it doesn't have a mesh screen on it. In America "screen door" generally refers to a mesh bug screen door. |
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jfromtheway
Joined: 20 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:03 am Post subject: |
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"British usage, I think."
Yeah, I've walked right through many a screen door.
I think generally attempting to try and stop people from committing suicide is a backwards concept. That's not to say you should ignore ideas that make it less easy. 77 people in 2009 is a high number for people who wanted to die being run over by a train.
I remember reading S. Korea had one of the, if not the, highest suicide rates on the planet. I assume the repression of the personal identity has a lot to do with that. And the last thing I'll say is that no suicide hotline is ridiculous, I know there are way too many people in most parts of the world to begin with, but ignoring a societal problem like this is probably based in some kind of twisted delusion. |
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coralreefer_1
Joined: 19 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd venture to put it out there that perhaps one of the reasons this may be considered in the subways is to put in these doors that also double as advertising space. City can slowly increase fares over time in the name of "safety improvements" while at the same time collecting revenue from ad space that will place ads in the face of millions of people each day. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| coralreefer_1 wrote: |
| I'd venture to put it out there that perhaps one of the reasons this may be considered in the subways is to put in these doors that also double as advertising space. City can slowly increase fares over time in the name of "safety improvements" while at the same time collecting revenue from ad space that will place ads in the face of millions of people each day. |
This, plus the Metro Corp. doesn't care about suicides, only it having its services disrupted and extra costs incurred by having to clean it up, hence the screen doors. Someone probably did a cost-benefit analysis and concluded the ad space + the decline in suicides would make it a net win. |
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orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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Putting up the barriers might just buy a little time for those ready to commit suicide on the spur of a moment, while an effective system to address their problems is put into place. In addition it makes crowded platforms during rush hours safer, and may safe the life of some late night drunks.
No need to put down a good thing just because it's not the perfect solution for all problems. |
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Slowmotion
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
I have two things to remark here...
The first: there is no screen in those 'screen doors'. Hence, they aren't screen doors.
Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
I used to think it was Konglish and funny they were called a screen door, then I found this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platform_screen_doors |
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McGenghis
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
Location: Gangneung
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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| jfromtheway wrote: |
"British usage, I think."
Yeah, I've walked right through many a screen door.
I think generally attempting to try and stop people from committing suicide is a backwards concept. That's not to say you should ignore ideas that make it less easy. 77 people in 2009 is a high number for people who wanted to die being run over by a train. |
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that the metro company does not really care if a person snuffs it out in the street, but they probably get a bit miffed if it happens on their tracks.
Edit: or what Steelrails said. Sorry I missed his post. |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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Someone who truly wants to kill themselves will find another place.
Not in our backyard, says the Seoul Metro. |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
| Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
Addendum:
Particularly, when that country enjoys a crappy tourism inflow but a booming suicide rate! |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Didn't you know? Kimchi cures suicidal tendencies. |
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The Great Toad
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I assumed this talk was a bunch of negative ideas of Korea you were going off on - then I asked co-worker - she said "yes" last year Koreans were number 1 in the world for suicide and it was persons who were in the 20-40 age range.... I had always thought of it as a teen thing ala Romeo and Juliet but I guess last year Korean adults were very unhapppy... I will have to do an anti-suicide speech to all my classes telling them to get help if they feel sad. As the experts say talking about suicide does not increase it and one can only hope I can encourage some kids not to get all crazy when they hit twenty and go out and buy fans and door and window seals. |
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methdxman
Joined: 14 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
I have two things to remark here...
The first: there is no screen in those 'screen doors'. Hence, they aren't screen doors.
Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
Why would a Korean call a stranger to discuss killing themselves? Suicide hotline. Yeah that's really going to work in Asia. |
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morrisonhotel
Joined: 18 Jul 2009
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:12 am Post subject: |
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| methdxman wrote: |
| Jane wrote: |
I have two things to remark here...
The first: there is no screen in those 'screen doors'. Hence, they aren't screen doors.
Also, it's says something about a country that has a 24-hour tourism hotline, and no such suicide hotline. |
Why would a Korean call a stranger to discuss killing themselves? Suicide hotline. Yeah that's really going to work in Asia. |
Never heard of the Samaritans? In a country with such a high-rate of suicide, it seems like a damn good idea to implement something similar (if, indeed, nothing similar exists in Korea already. ETA, Lifeline operate in Korea). Similar programs exist in Hong Kong and in India so I don't see what your point is about it not working in Asia.
Last edited by morrisonhotel on Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:43 am; edited 3 times in total |
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