BATON ROUGE — Monday, Sept. 8, is 988 Day, part of Suicide Prevention Month.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Louisianians ages 10-34.

The Louisiana Department of Health, VIA LINK and the Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling are raising awareness for the 988 suicide prevention hotline to help reduce these numbers.  

The groups hosted 988 Day on the Capitol from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to bring attention to the Louisiana 988 helpline, which is available 24/7 by call, text, or chat at Louisiana988.org, connecting residents to helpline specialists for free, confidential support.

"No problem is too big or too small – whether stress, substance use, gambling, or thoughts of suicide, help is local and always available," organizers said.