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Colorado, which typically has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, had a record 940 deaths by suicide last year, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

A more accurate comparison measure — the number of deaths by suicide per 100,000 residents — didn’t set a record but is still alarming enough to public health officials. Last year, there were 18.4 suicides per 100,000 people, compared with 18.9 per 100,000 in 1988.

“It’s a 20-year high. It’s unfortunate,” said Jarrod Hindman, program manager for the state health department’s office of suicide prevention. “The 2009 data serve as a reminder that suicide prevention must be a priority public health issue in Colorado.”