San Diego County Set Another Suicide Record in 2013

San Diego County is reporting its highest suicide toll in history — with at least 441 people killing themselves last year. It was 413 in 2012 and 392 in 2011, also record years.

The 2013 suicide rate — 14.0 per 100,000 population — also was the highest in the county since 1993 and 1994, when rates of 14.5 and 14.0 were recorded.

Meanwhile, prescription drug overdoses joined suicides for the third year as the leading causes of death in cases investigated by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office led by Dr. Glenn Wagner.

Homicide numbers fell for the first time in two years, the office reported Tuesday in releasing its 109-page 2013 annual report.

Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of natural deaths, with obesity listed as a a major risk factor, the report said.

According to the report, 45 percent of the investigated deaths last year were accidental, 36 percent were deemed natural, 15 percent were suicides and 3.3 percent were homicides, the report said. In 1.3 percent, the manner of death could not be determined.

Alcohol, implicated in 127 deaths, was the second leading cause of accidental deaths, behind methamphetamine overdoses. Heroin was blamed in 89 cases — mostly among people in their 20s, according to the report.

Homicides declined to 88 last year, the report said. In 39 killings, firearms were used, and 22 people died in cuttings or stabbings. Fifteen people were killed by blunt force, and 10 died at the hands of law enforcement officers.

Nearly 250 people died in vehicle crashes last year — or about 20 fewer than in 2012, according to the report, which called alcohol a “major factor” in the deaths.

About 20,000 people die each year in San Diego County, almost half of which are reported to the Medical Examiner’s Office. The agency conducted 1,955 autopsies and 1,019 external examinations in non-natural deaths in 2013, as well as in a few natural deaths of younger people or that had occurred unexpectedly.

The ME Office says it investigates only about 5 percent of natural deaths in the county. They tend to be younger individuals and the deaths more sudden and unexpected than most of the natural deaths in the county.

This reflects data on the nearly 10,000 deaths in the county reported to county officials last year, or half the 20,000 deaths that occur yearly in the county. The report focuses on the 2,974 deaths in which the county took jurisdiction, a number that includes all of the non-natural deaths in the county as well as certain natural deaths.

“One of the main reasons our office compiles this report is to help identify patterns and trends for various deaths, many of which are preventable,” said Chief Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Jonathan Lucas. “This data is useful to identify issues that may need additional resources. The data may also show whether prevention education efforts are working to address previously identified problems.”

The office performed autopsies on 1,955 of the cases, and 1,019 cases were given external examinations.

Other findings in the 2013 cases include:

• Prescription drug deaths fell slightly in number from last year, but levels remain near the peak of a 14-year period. Prescription drug deaths also remain the most common cause of accidental deaths.
• Methamphetamine was the leading drug in accidental overdose deaths, and set a record with 190 deaths for 2013. Alcohol was the next drug leading to 127 accidental deaths. Heroin deaths also continue to increase, and with 89 deaths had the third most accidental deaths. Most of the accidental heroin overdose deaths were among people in their 20s.
• Homicides continue to remain at low levels compared to recent decades. In 2013, 88 homicides were reported; 122 were reported in 2012; and 93 were reported in 2011. In 2013, 39 deaths were due to firearms; 22 deaths were due to cutting or stabbing; and 15 deaths were by blunt force. Ten officer-involved shootings are noted in a small subset for 2013.
• In 2013, 247 people died in motor vehicle-related collisions, down from 270 fatalities in 2012. These fatalities also include passengers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Alcohol remains a major factor in motor vehicle-related deaths.
• The leading cause of natural deaths in the Medical Examiner cases remains cardiovascular disease. Obesity continues to be a major risk factor in natural deaths.

The Medical Examiner’s Office notes that many of the deaths could have been prevented and urge people to seek out help in a crisis.

The following resources are available:

• Mental health and substance abuse counseling is available to anyone who is struggling or worried about a friend or loved one at the County’s Behavioral Health Access and Crisis Line at 888-724-7240.
• Suicide prevention and awareness information is available at up2sd.org.
  211 San Diego offers referrals to family and individual services and programs. Call 2-1-1 or visit online.
• Crime prevention tips from the Sheriff’s Department are available here.
• Drop off unwanted and expired medications at these locations.

— County News Center and City News Service contributed to this report.