National MP and former Youth Affairs Minister Tony Ryall believes the TV3 programme on youth suicide based on the drama 'Questions' will see more New Zealanders confront the issue.

"I saw 'Questions' in Wellington when I was Youth Affairs Minister. The play was very thoughtful and identified many issues around youth suicide that we need to discuss as a community.

"There have always been concerns about whether discussing youth suicide would encourage 'copy-cats'. The fact is that New Zealand has one of the worst youth suicide rates in the Western World. Many people believe the issue needs more open discussion.

"The key to the management of TV3's programme is the discussion that will take place after the programme has screened and the help-line support around it. This is not a stand-alone programme.

"The Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy developed by National includes the need for community involvement. This documentary is an important part of that by getting people talking about the problem and what we can all do to help," Mr Ryall said.

Ends

A printable formatted copy of this press release will be available on http://www.national.org.nz along with an archive of previous releases.

© Scoop Media