Lethal means are the tools and methods one might use to try and take their life, like firearms. Suicide prevention experts recommend that newsrooms should avoid detailed descriptions of how a person takes their life to avoid sensationalizing their death and prevent copycat suicides. Instead, reporters should focus on the broader trends around lethal means and highlight just how deadly guns are. For example, firearm suicide is by far the most lethal method someone can use to take their own life, with a mortality rate of about 90%.
A key suicide prevention strategy is preventing access to lethal means among individuals who are at risk for suicide or are experiencing suicidal ideation. There’s a movement among health care professionals to counsel patients about access to lethal means and the risks that are posed when firearms are safely secured.