Call 12356 if you’re depressed or having suicidal thoughts; don’t keep sleeping pills or pesticides at home

25. Call 12356 if you’re depressed or having suicidal thoughts; don’t keep sleeping pills or pesticides at home

Cost: There’s no cost involved. You just need to make one phone call. Plus, lock away any medications and keep pesticides out of the house.

In plain terms: Removing lethal items from easy reach is a proven way to cut suicide risk: after restricting access to painkillers, suicide rates linked to them dropped by 43%; installing barriers at locations where people often jump off cliffs cut rates by 86%. That’s why it’s a good idea to avoid storing sleeping pills and pesticides at home. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, call 12356 — this national helpline is available at least 18 hours a day.

Benefit: A recent review of nearly a decade’s worth of research confirms that limiting people’s access to lethal means is an effective suicide prevention strategy. After controls on painkiller availability were put in place, suicide cases tied to these drugs fell by 43%. Installing protective barriers at common suicide hotspots reduced rates by 86% (the 95% confidence interval ranges from 79% to 91%). School-based cognitive intervention programs also lowered rates of attempted suicide by roughly 55% (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24–0.85). Antidepressant medications and psychotherapy are also key components of suicide prevention. Starting May 1, 2025, the 12356 helpline will be available nationwide in China, operating at least 18 hours each day.

Evidence grade: B

Sources: Zalsman G et al. (2016). Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry. <https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30030-X>; National Health Commission of China (NHC) (2024). "12356" (〔2024〕259 ). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202412/content_6994470.htm>

Notes: The B rating is based on two factors: most evidence supporting restrictive measures comes from ecological studies that compare suicide rates before and after policy implementation; there is currently no direct evidence that the helpline itself reduces overall mortality rates. Suicidal impulses typically last only a few minutes to a few hours, so simply removing lethal items from immediate reach is a meaningful intervention on its own. Data on outcomes over longer time periods following suicide attempts, as well as information on long-term consequences for survivors, can be found in Item 32 of this section (“Tell someone close to you as soon as suicidal thoughts arise”).