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Utah’s governor launches youth suicide task force as state reveals a 2017 spike to 44 suicide deaths among 10-to-17 year olds

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert on Wednesday announced he has formed a community task force that will attempt to tackle the state’s soaring youth suicide numbers, just as health officials shed more light on the trend.

Herbert named a 14-member group to meet in the coming weeks and return by Feb. 15 with recommendations about how to slow the state’s suicide rate in young people. That four-week timeline, Herbert noted, would allow the panel’s ideas to be taken up by Utah lawmakers before they conclude their 2018 General Session on March 9.

The task force will be led by Lt.