The US is officially designating the phone number 988 as a suicide prevention hotline number. 

On Thursday, the FCC voted to establish 988 as the new number for the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which currently operates over 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). The 11-digit number is harder to remember, so the FCC decided to minimize the digits down to three. 

“Establishing the easy-to-remember 988 as the ‘911’ for suicide prevention and mental health services will make it easier for Americans in crisis to access the help they need and decrease the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues,” the FCC said in today’s vote. 

The commission is giving all telecommunication carriers, including internet-based VoIP phone service providers until July 16, 2022, to implement the change. The FCC settled on two years to make the transition, citing the time needed to implement the network changes. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline also has to prepare for a potential increase in calls once the 988 number goes into effect.

Funding for the national lifeline, which operates over 160 centers, falls out of the FCC's jurisdiction. But the commission is encouraging stakeholders to work with Congress to keep it sufficiently funded to handle the call increase.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said the 988 number was needed to help address the rising suicide rate in the US. “Some phone companies urged us to roll out 988 on a phased-in basis. But we believe that a uniform implementation date will minimize potentially deadly consumer confusion that could result from having 988 available in some, but not all, areas,” he said in a statement. 

“And we reject calls for a longer implementation period," he added. "The record indicates that we can get this done in two years, and the importance of the issue suggests that we must get this done by then. It is literally a life-and-death issue."

Once 988 goes online, the old number 1-800-273-8255 will continue to remain active. 

You can also access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline via online chats. In addition, there's a suicide prevention line for military veterans, which can be reached by dialing 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 after connecting.

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