This sounds very improbable:
Alarmed by a rise in people jumping to their deaths in front of trains, some Japanese railway operators are installing special blue lights above station platforms they hope will have a soothing effect and reduce suicides.Sadly, suicide is still a popular response to difficult times in Japan, although I bet everyone wishes people would choose a less public method:
As of November, East Japan Railway Co has put blue light-emitting diode, or LED, lights in all 29 stations on Tokyo’s central train loop, the Yamanote Line, used by 8 million passengers each day.
There’s no scientific proof that the lights actually reduce suicides, and some experts are skeptical it will have any effect. But others say blue does have a calming effect on people.
Suicide rates in Japan have risen this year amid economic woes, and could surpass the record 34,427 deaths in 2003.
Last year, nearly 2,000 people committed suicide in Japan by jumping in front of a train, about 6 percent of such deaths nationwide.
1 comment:
Cute idea though. Normally blue lights are used to deter junkies, since it's impossible for them to see veins. I'm also remminded of the habit some train stations have of playing classical music in order to deter potential thugs from thugging other people.
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