As a staunch advocate for the health and well-being of New York’s veterans, in 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to prevent veteran suicides. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you’re on, we can all agree this is a worthy endeavor. With veteran suicides continuing at an alarming rate, however, it’s become necessary to expand on that effort in order to prevent as many needless tragedies as possible.
Veteran suicide is a significant public health crisis in New York. With nearly 600,000 veterans, New York has one of the largest veteran populations of any state. Although New York’s overall suicide rate is lower than the national average, veterans in New York die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of non-veterans.
