Use Billboards in Rural Minnesota to Increase the Publicity of the 988 Lifeline.

 

In 2022, the suicide rate in Minnesota reached a record high; 860 Minnesotans ended their own lives due to struggles

with mental health. In 2024, 816 Minnesotans died by suicide. Though this is substantially lower than the statistic from

2022, it is still vastly greater than the 524 suicides recorded in Minnesota 20 years prior. It is clear that suicide is

a growing problem in our state. 988, that national suicide lifeline, was established in 2005. Anyone can call this

service and receive help free of charge. In 2024, 988 answered texts and calls from 90,080 different contacts in

Minnesota. The area of Minnesota that uses 988 the most is the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, which is

also the area of Minnesota with the lowest suicide rate. Rural Minnesota has a much higher suicide rate than urban

Minnesota. Rural counties sit at a rate of 19.5 suicides per 100,000 people, nearly 60% higher than the Twin Cities’

rate of 12.5 suicides per 100,000 people. The highest suicide rate in Minnesota is 38.1 deaths by suicide per 100,000

people in Roseau County. It is quite possible that many lives could be saved if 988’s publicity increased in these rural

areas. To do this, billboards must be implemented along major highways in Roseau County, Lake County, and Cook County. 2

will be placed along Highway 11 in Roseau County. In Mille Lacs County, 3 will be placed along US 169, and 2 more will

be placed along Highway 23. 3 will be placed in Cook County along US 61.

 

According to the CDC, 2 out of 5 adults personally know someone who has died by suicide, and 5.3% of adults experienced

suicidal ideation in the last 12 months. Although many, if not most, Minnesota residents are aware of the 988 lifeline,

many people still feel hesitant to use it. This is because many are afraid that a call to 988 will result in an

ambulance being sent to their location and a large bill being sent to their mailbox. Dispatching an ambulance in

response to a 988 call is rare; 95% of calls to the lifeline do not require support from additional agencies and are not

transferred to other emergency service lifelines. Increased publicity for 988 and what it actually does for those in

need will help assuage the fears of people in need of help and save lives.

 

Suicide shall be defined as the act of taking one’s own life.

Suicidal ideation shall be defined as recurring, disruptive thoughts, fantasies, and contemplations of ending one’s own

life.

Rural County shall be defined as a county with little or no cities with a population greater than 5,000 people.

 

Manufacturing an ad for a billboard costs ~$850, and displaying it for 4 weeks in rural Minnesota costs $20-50 daily,

depending on the location. $188500 will be needed to place 10 billboards for 1 year. This funding can be secured by

slightly increasing tax on tobacco products, raising the minimum tobacco tax from $3.04 to $3.20. This funding will go

towards the billboards, and not to 988 directly. 988 is already funded.

 

If the billboards are vandalized, those who deface them will be prosecuted under state law for vandalism. Tax evasion

will be prosecuted regularly.

 

 

Due to the government shutdown, it is unknown when funding will be secured for this bill. Because of this, a later

effective date will be proposed. This bill will be effective starting January 1, 2027.