JAPAN PRINTS MESSAGES OF SUPPORT ON TOILET PAPER

In a bid to combat the high suicide rate, Japanese authorities have turned to printing messages of support on toilet paper.

The country reported a record-high number of suicides in 2020. It included 499 children of different age groups ranging from primary schools to high school.

Some 6,000 toilet rolls have been distributed to 12 universities in the Yamanshi region.

The toilet paper has been filled with messages starting with a heartfel “Dear you, who might want to end it all”. It also contains the number for a suicide hotline.

News24 reports that suicide is a longstanding problem in Japan, and like many places, the country saw a spike in deaths by suicide during parts of the pandemic.

Another message reads “Dear you, spending painful days pretending to be okay for someone else,” while another reads “you don’t need to tell us everything… but how about just a little of it?”.

Image credit: The Citizen