Multiple sources report the United Sates is in the top fifty for national suicide rate. With most of the other top fifty nations having a significantly lower standard of living and quality of life, being in the top fifty begins to seem more out of place for the U.S. Many nations more like the United States have significantly lower rates of suicide and are nowhere near the top fifty.  Knowing this, as a nation it is imperative that we take steps to lower the nearly 40,000 annual deaths as a result of suicide. One of the largest rates of suicide is in elderly white men. In 2014 the Washington Post stated that elderly are nearly four times more likely to commit suicide than the general population. Further, according to a 2012 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 51 of every 100,000 white men age 85 and older committed suicide, compared with the national average for all ages of 13. Thus, to begin lowering the national rate it will be most effective if our efforts are toward the elderly demographic. 

There are a myriad of reasons why elderly are affected at a higher rate of suicide than the rest of the nation. Some of such reasons include physical decline or illness, financial struggle, depression, and a heightened sense of the inevitability of death. Some would believe that to combat elderly suicide it is most effective to tackle each of the above reasons and hope that with less stress, greater health, and higher quality of life the rate of suicide will decrease. However, some issues with this approach are the vast economic and medical resources needed to carry this out and more importantly time. Arguably, all such resources could better be used on younger populations with a likelihood of living longer anyway. A plan of action to account for all factors stated above, without the large dependence upon resources that other plans might require, would be to enact an age restriction. It is easiest to think of this as an age cap. Once an individual reaches the age of 78 years old, the average age of death in the United States, then we can essentially forget about them.

Economically this age cut-off would allow the United States to prosper greatly. Social Security is an enormous financial burden on the U.S government. By lowering the average age of death this spending will decrease dramatically. This federal aid aside, as life expectancy increases, this will only cause more of a financial strain on the rest of the nation over time. By creating an age cap, this dilemma will never need to cross our minds again. We cannot afford to waste such resources on individuals already so close to death. Medically, the elderly are some of the most costly citizens. The Journalist’s Resource states, “Senior citizens made up 13 percent of the U.S. population, but accounted for 34 percent of healthcare-related spending” in 2014. Thus, it makes very little sense trying to sustain such a problematic demographic that generates little to no productivity anyway.

In an age of prospering technology and ever increasing population, our resources are vital to the well-being of our youth. We may need to consider taking such selfless acts to allow the rest of the nation to prosper and remain competitive among other nations like China. A nation who is already taking such actions. CNN reports that over 500,000 people “go missing” in China annually with the clear majority being over the age of 65. That is nearly 1,300 elderlies that vanish a day. This past October Wang Zhikun, president of the Zhongmin institute stated, "This is obviously a huge number and a social issue we cannot afford to ignore.” But is it really? After all, think about the economic and social benefits from this elderly elimination. When you take a step back and think about this regulation it really makes a lot of sense. By knowing your due date, you would be able to live your final years to the fullest and can leave with the greatest peace of mind possible. Thus, you could even think of this age cap as an effort to allow people to live their happiest lives ever. And who really wants to visit their grandparents anyway?