A 3-digit phone number — 988 — for suicide prevention and mental health crisis assistance that the Federal Communications Commission approved for nationwide use in July 2020 is being rolled out in some parts of the country beginning April 24, 2021.
The 910 prefixes are currently the only North Carolina numbers impacted by the April 24 rollout. Once active, people will be able to dial 988 to seek help in the same way they can call 911 for emergency services.
This could be a life saver for many of the one in five adults who experience mental illness every year. It could also help people dealing with substance abuse disorder or addiction. According to the FCC, since 2008, suicide has ranked as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. For the new 3-digit phone number to become active, states have to implement 10-digit (versus 7-digit) local dialing first.