The National Shooting Sports Foundation is partnering with a national suicide prevention group to educate the public about gun safety and the warning signs of suicide.

The joint program with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will distribute educational materials about gun safety and mental health to firearms retailers and shooting ranges, which they can then show to customers. Gun suicides accounted for half of the nearly 43,000 suicides in the U.S. in 2014, according to Center for Disease Control and Prevention figures.

"By increasing public education of firearms and suicide prevention, and by encouraging the use of safe storage options and thus reducing access to lethal means, we give suicidal individuals something they desperately need: time. Time for the intense suicidal risk to diminish and time for someone to intervene with mental health support and resources," said Christine Moutier, AFSP's chief medical officer.

The new partnership is a nationwide expansion of a pilot program than began last year in four states, according to NSSF.

"By making gun owners and the public more aware of suicide and responsible firearm storage, we are confident that we will help save lives," NSSF CEO Steve Sanetti said.

Educational materials distributed by the campaign can be viewed on the web at http://bit.ly/2iBKoVv.

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