Augusta - Last week was Suicide Prevention Week, and that theme was continued in Augusta Tuesday.

The afternoon event was held at the Blaine House.

Several people were recognized for their work in suicide prevention.

Those honored were educators who developed suicide prevention curriculums in their schools along with middle school students and teens who supported those efforts in their schools and communities.

Experts who spoke at the event said educating the kids about suicide prevention is a critical step in reducing Maine's suicide rate. "They're the best ones, because they know right away if there's a change in their behavior, a change in the way they're talking," said Betty Ann Buchnan, a counselor at RSU 1 in Woolwich. "They need to show they care. They need to ask the question, 'Are you thinking of hurting yourself?' Then they need to get help because this is an adult problem, they can't fix it. They need to stay with the person and go get help from an adult they trust."

After teaching suicide prevention guidelines to 8th graders in her district, some of her students actually put what they learned into action and saved the life of a friend. "The day after that class ended, three boys came to me and said there was a classmate a grade lower that had talked about killing himself," Buchnan said. "They listened to what was being said and they put it in to practice and that child is still alive."

You can learn more about suicide prevention at http://reportingonsuicide.org/

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