WASHINGTON (AP) - Broadcasters should run public service ads. Doctors and lawyers need to learn to spot warning signs in their patients and clients. And religious groups can help remove the stigma of talking about suicide, the government said in its first national prevention guide.

The Surgeon General's report also calls for a uniform way for hospitals, police and coroners across the nation to identify and report suicides. The goals are all part of developing better strategies to address a problem that claims 30,000 lives a year, officials say.

"Suicide exacts an enormous toll from the American people," said Surgeon General David Satcher, who has focused attention on mental health issues.

The plan, promised in 1998 after a national suicide prevention conference, was debated by experts who compiled some 80 recommendations. Pared down to 68, the goals are set for 2005 and would be voluntary on the part of states, local agencies and anyone else who wanted to follow them, officials said.

"We're using the science to provide a foundation for policy-makers," said Satcher's spokesman Damon Thompson. The report was compiled with help from doctors, nurses, counselors and other health experts.

The report points out the success of existing suicide-prevention programs. The Air Force reduced suicides by 60 percent in five years, the report said.

Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., is seeking $75 million for a program aimed at preventing suicide among children. Wellstone and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Pete Domenici, R-N.M., are trying to expand laws that help people get better mental health coverage from their insurance plans.

A key report recommendation urges the creation of a national violent death reporting system that includes suicide; only 17 states require hospitals to use a special code for suicide and attempts, officials said. Often local coroners, doctors and health officials rule suicides as something else to spare a family embarrassment and pain, they said.

The report also asks the help of churches and community centers in spreading the word that suicidal thoughts and actions are signs of illness and nothing to be ashamed of.

"America is not yet fully facing the mental health needs of its citizens," said Michael M. Faenza, president of the National Mental Health Association. "In the majority of cases, suicide is the most tragic result from common and treatable mental illness."

Federal figures show that suicide is the eighth leading cause of death, killing 30,000 people each year. A third as many people die in homicides. A half million more Americans attempt suicide each year but survive.

The mental health group says 4 percent of American adults, or 8.4 million people, have possibly contemplated suicide.

Older Americans are among the groups most likely to commit suicide. The risk is also growing for black teen-agers, American Indians and gay and lesbian youth.

The surgeon general's report focuses on suicide causes and aggressive intervention for people at risk of attempting it. Factors that lead to suicide are complex: Schizophrenia, alcohol abuse, job loss or loneliness. Among the report's recommendations are:

• Adding more suicide-prevention programs in schools, college, jails, and in the workplace.
• Increasing the number of states that require health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance abuse on the level that physical illnesses are covered.
• Encouraging doctors and nurses to ask at-risk patients about the presence of firearms, drugs and other lethal weapons in their homes.
• Using public service announcements like those on car seats, smoking, and the dangers of drinking while pregnant.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.