CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The state Board of Education is seeking the public's input on a policy that helps educators address youth suicide.
A state law effective July 1 aims to make sure that principals, teachers and other educators are trained to recognize the warning signs and reach out to students in crisis. The Board of Education agreed Thursday to make the law's guidelines available for public comment and suggestions.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. for people ages 10 to 24, behind only accidents and homicides.
The new law is called the Jason Flatt Act of 2012. Jason Flatt was a 16-year-old student in Tennessee when he killed himself in July 1997.
In March, West Virginia became the seventh state to enact such a law.
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