Public Health Agency of Canada – The Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention Act (the Act) received Royal Assent on December 14, 2012, requiring the Government of Canada to enter into consultations with relevant federal departments, provincial and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations to inform the development of a federal framework for suicide prevention. Introduced to Parliament as Bill C-300, the Act recognizes that suicide, in addition to being a mental health issue, is a public health issue and a health and safety priority. It is expected that a federal framework for suicide prevention will serve as a plan to guide Government of Canada efforts in six key areas described within the Act:

1. providing guidelines to improve public awareness and knowledge about suicide;
2. disseminating information about suicide, including information concerning its prevention;
3. making publically available existing statistics about suicide and related risk factors;
4. promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange across domains, sectors, regions and jurisdictions;
5. defining best practices for the prevention of suicide; and
6. promoting the use of research and evidence-based practices for the prevention of suicide.

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