Men Are 75% of All Suicides, Declares New Toronto Billboard Ad; Loved Ones Urged to Intervene

Men Are 75% of All Canadian Suicides: Toronto Billboard Ad Aims to Reduce Male Suicide, Empower Loved Ones

TORONTO, ON — (December 2, 2019) Men comprise 75% of all completed suicides in Canada, declares a new billboard advertisement appearing this week in downtown Toronto. The unique Campaign from the Canadian Centre for Men and Families is targeted at family and friends, and urges us to intervene in support of male loved ones at risk.

The visual, reproduced below, features a distressed young man hiding his face with a falsely happy mask. The text reads “Appearances can be deceiving. Men often suffer in silence. Help the men you love get the help they need.”

“This campaign is a call to action to each of us to look behind the mask at the hidden signs that the men we love are suffering,” said CCMF Executive Director Justin Trottier. “We are grateful to the crisis centres and mental health agencies who advised us on the creation of a billboard that would be effective at communicating this urgent message.”

The Campaign will integrate discussion at public events and online on facebook and twitter using #LetsTalkMen.

A press release and public launch will take place this Wednesday, December 4th at 7:15PM EST at the University of Toronto at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology, the location of two suicide deaths earlier this year.

Campaign spokespeople Prof Dan Bilsker and Prof Rob Whitley, Canadian experts in the prevention of male suicide, are available for media interviews.

Visit https://LookBehindTheMask.com for Campaign research, updates and events.

CONTACT

Justin Trottier
Executive Director
Canadian Centre for Men and Families
jtrottier@menandfamilies.org
416–402–8856–30-