Japan enacts bill to tackle child suicides

In a plenary meeting, the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the parliament, approved the bill to revise the basic law on suicide countermeasures, following its passage at the House of Councillors, the upper chamber, in April.

The revised law, which will come into force within six months after its promulgation, calls for using digital technologies to curb child suicides.

It stipulates that the Children and Families Agency take measures for preventing suicides among children, while municipalities are required to take the lead in establishing councils comprising schools, medical institutions and child consultation centers to tackle the issue.

The number of suicides among elementary, junior high and senior high school students in Japan reached a record high of 529 last year, based on National Police Agency data, according to the labor ministry.

The number of suicides among senior high school students exceeded 300 for the fifth consecutive year and that of junior high school students stood at a record high of 163.