Its “I don’t wanna be alive” line may have become a jokey TikTok trend, but Logic’s anti-suicide anthem “1-800-273-8255” really did save lives. A new study from the BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical trade journal from the British Medical Association, ties performances of the song to a decrease in suicide rates among teenagers.
In the days after Logic performed the song — which takes its name from the number of the US National Suicide Prevention Hotline — at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2017, the organization said calls to the lifeline increased by 50%. In addition to this, the BMJ studied suicide rates around this time frame, as well as around the song’s April 2017 release, and around a 2018 performance of the song at the Grammy Awards. In doing so, they found a 5.5% reduction in suicide rates among 10-19 year olds; 245 less suicides occurred during these times than what is normally expected.
