The issue of funerals, honours, and awards is not a situation that I deal with as the surgeon general. I know that they are looking at reviewing those who have passed on by suicide. What we face is a very difficult issue. Because of the multifactorial causation of suicide, it is not easy to say, when somebody takes their own life, just what it is that has actually contributed to that decision. Sadly, there is much that we need to learn about suicide in order to understand what brings people to that decision.
On February 23rd, 2017. See this statement in context.