The rationale for means restriction on Ithaca bridges will be discussed at two public forums April 4. "Means restriction" refers to suicide prevention efforts that reduce access to means of dying by suicide such as firearms, drugs and jumping from high places.

The city of Ithaca and Cornell University are currently discussing means restriction for bridges on and near the Cornell campus, such as barriers or nets, to prevent people from jumping into the deep gorges below.

Eric Caine, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a prominent expert on suicide methods, will join representatives from local agencies and Cornell for a conversation about why means restriction is an important prevention strategy in Ithaca.

The same presentation will be offered at both forums: 12:15 p.m. in Bache Auditorium, Malott Hall, and at 4:30 p.m. in the basement meeting room of St. Paul's Methodist Church, 402 N. Aurora St., Ithaca.

More information about means restriction on Ithaca bridges is available online.