Melinda Simms: HB 254 undermines New Hampshire’s suicide prevention efforts

To The Daily Sun,

I enlisted in the Air Force 39 years ago, joining two other members of my immediate family who proudly served our country. As a disabled veteran with a spinal cord injury, I find HB 254 deeply concerning.

This bill preys on the most vulnerable among us. Physician-assisted suicide poses a grave threat to populations already at high risk for suicide, particularly veterans struggling with PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injuries and other challenges. These individuals don’t need an escape — they need proper support, resources and care to build better lives for themselves and their families.

HB 254 undermines New Hampshire’s suicide prevention efforts. Our state has a robust suicide prevention plan established under RSA 126-R, and the Veterans Administration has made ending veteran suicide its top clinical priority. Even the White House has called veteran suicide a “public health and national security crisis.” Allowing physician-assisted suicide creates a dangerous double standard and sends the wrong message to those who are already at risk.

Veterans are the backbone of this nation, and we owe them far better. If we open the door to physician-assisted suicide, even slightly, it could swing wide open, bringing irreparable harm to the veteran community. Let’s focus on giving them the tools to thrive — not a path to despair.

Melinda Simms

Belmont