BILL
No. 618
An Act respecting a Provincial Strategy for Suicide Prevention
(Assented to

)

PREAMBLE
WHEREAS suicide is a complex problem involving biological, psychological, social and
spiritual factors, and can be influenced by societal attitudes and conditions;
WHEREAS Canadians want to reduce suicide and its impact in Canada, and suicide
prevention is everyone’s responsibility;
WHEREAS suicide is preventable by knowledge, care and compassion;
WHEREAS concerted, collaborative action by committed communities, governments,
organizations and individuals will help prevent deaths by suicide, and assist in educating
and comforting those who have been affected by suicidal behaviour;
WHEREAS suicide is a significant public health issue and the grief and trauma associated
with it produce long-term social costs and devastating effects on surviving individuals and
communities;
WHEREAS the lack of access to mental health and addiction services in Northern
Saskatchewan contributes to the high rates of suicide in Northern communities;
NOW THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, enacts as follows:
Short title
1 The Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act, 2019.
Strategy for suicide prevention
2 (1) The Saskatchewan Health Authority must establish a provincial strategy for suicide
prevention that recognizes that suicide, in addition to being a mental health issue, is a
public health issue and that it is a health and safety priority.
(2) The Saskatchewan Health Authority shall assume responsibility for:
(a) providing guidelines to improve public awareness and knowledge about suicide;

 Saskatchewan Strategy for Suicide Prevention
2

(b) disseminating information about suicide, including information concerning its
prevention;
(c) making publically available existing statistics about suicide and related risk
factors;
(d) promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange across domains, sectors,
regions and jurisdictions;
(e) defining best practices for the prevention of suicide; and
(f) promoting the use of research and evidence-based practices for the prevention of
suicide.
Consultations
3 Within 180 days after the day on which this section comes into force, the
Saskatchewan Health Authority must enter into consultations with relevant nongovernmental organizations, relevant entities within the governments of the provinces
and territories and relevant federal departments, in order to share information and align
the elements of the strategy described in section 2 with existing efforts that relate to
suicide prevention.
Report
4 Within two years after the coming into force of this Act and every year thereafter, the
Saskatchewan Health Authority must include in the annual report referenced in section
7-5 of The Provincial Health Authority Act an update on its progress and activities
related to the strategy for suicide prevention.
Coming into force
5 This Act comes into force on assent.

 FOURTH SESSION

Twenty-eighth Legislature
SASKATCHEWAN
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BILL
No. 618
An Act respecting a Provincial Strategy
for Suicide Prevention

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Received and read the
First time
Second time
Third time
And Passed
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Mr. Doyle Vermette

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REGINA SASKATCHEWAN
Printed under the authority of
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
of Saskatchewan
2019