A comparison of how Aussie Deaths are treated by our Politicians and Media.
Each and every preventable life lost is a HUGE loss to Australia.
Click below for recent advert… Echo 14 The Hidden, Silent Killer
- Shark Attack. National headlines. Huge media coverage. More safety measures announced. 1 death recorded in 2015.
- Terrorist Attack on Australian soil. National headlines. Huge media coverage. P.M. very active. Acts of Parliament debated and rapidly passed. 3 deaths in 2015.
- Digger killed in Middle East conflict. National front page headlines. National Grief. P.M. addresses the Nation. Huge media coverage. 39 Diggers killed in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2012.
- Domestic Violence. – Around 2/week. National Headlines. Australian of the year (2015) chosen re Domestic Violence – to help highlight it. White ribbon groups, sports organisations and Domestic Violence advocates get very active. Around 2/ week or 100/year.
- Road fatalities. 1,209 Fatalities recorded in 2015 – 3/day, down from 3,798 in 1970. A ‘stunning’ 77% reduction in Fatalities since 1980. A HUGE success story! Well done Australia! $ 5.5 Billion/year (average) spent on infrastructure. Huge, persistent and ongoing Road Safety Campaigns on all media, with huge, prominent editorial and coverage of accidents.
- Suicide. 3,027 Deaths from Suicide in 2015 or just over 8/day. No reduction at all since 1980. The Suicide rate was 10.9 per 100,000 of population in 1980 – it was still 12.7/100,000 in 2015. A mere $41 Million/year spent on the ’emotional roads’ of 24 Million Aussies (beyondblue), less than 1% of the expenditure amount on infrastructure at the same time. Our federal Government has continually starved our Health Sectors for funds – and in the (then) new Abbot Government’s first budget was a proposed increase of around $6.00 in the personal cost to every Aussie to visit their Doctor.
This website , my whole advertising campaign since I started in June 2013, the $13,000 of my own very hard earned money I have spent putting adverts in papers – is dedicated NOT just to those 22,631 who ended their own lives last decade but …
To the 22,631 ‘Good Aussies’ who will take their own lives in the next decade.
because…
Suicide Prevention Advertising CAN and WILL save many of these preventable deaths.
Shame, shame, shame on each and every Politician in Australia who allows this situation to continue because now we can and will do better…
There IS another way to help save precious lives.
For a 2 page pdf click here 8 Suicides happening silently, each and every day.
Tim Barritt.
Updated 11.12.16.