As many as 9 teenagers and young men from Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta villages have killed themselves over the past two months, Alaska state troopers say.

Western Alaska is home to one of the highest suicide rates in the state, but the pace of more than one death per week has some village leaders on alert.

"There’s something different going on this year. Here in Scammon Bay we’ve had three suicides. Maybe two or three attempts," said Brandon Aguchak, executive director for the tribal council.

The council is offering a free drum of gasoline -- fuel is $5.89 a gallon in the village -- as a door prize tomorrow afternoon at a meeting inviting parents and kids to talk about drugs, alcohol and suicide.

Beginning when a 17-year-old was found hanging in front of the town school last July, the Yup’ik village of just 530 people has lost four young men in a year. Two killed themselves in June — part of what the head of the regional health corporation calls an unusually high number of deaths since late May.

“We’ve asked our behavioral aides that are located in the villages where suicides happen to try and work with the community,” said Gene Peltola, chief executive for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp.

All but one of the dead were 17 to 22-year-old men. Alcohol was a factor in some but not all of the deaths, according to trooper reports.

"Parents need to know what they can say to their children, how they can raise them to avoid issues like that so kids always learn how to value life ... how valuable life is and how heart breaking it is to have parents go through what some kids might do," said Harley Sundown, assistant principal at the Scammon Bay school.

His 20-year-old son killed himself June 9 in Bethel.

Among the other apparent suicides described in trooper reports or interviews this week:

-- May 23, Newtok: 17-year-old male.
-- May 23, Akiak: 17-year-old male.
-- May 30, St. Marys: 22-year-old male.
-- June 15, Hooper Bay: 15-year-old female.
-- July 1, Scammon Bay: 17-year-old male.
-- July 5, Chevak: 21-year-old male.
-- July 9, Mountain Village: 17-year-old male.
-- July 10, Emmonak, 21-year-old male.

During the same time period, the suicide of a 21-year-old man was reported June 2 in the Kuskokwim River village of Crooked Creek, 141 miles from Bethel.

Trooper Perry Barr, who has worked out of Bethel for the past 11 years, told The Tundra Drums he’d never seen such a rapid string of suicides in the region.

If you’d like to talk about suicide in Alaska, or share your advice or stories, e-mail me at khopkins@adn.com.

Information on suicide warning signs and numbers to call for help after the jump:

Where to get help
• Alaska’s Careline is 877-266-4357. You can also visit carelinealaska.com and chat with counselors online.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255.

If you are looking for information about suicide, try these websites :
• Alaska Suicide Prevention Council — www.hss.state.ak.us/suicideprevention.
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center — www.sprc.org.
• American Association of Suicidology — www.suicidology.org.
• Suicide Prevention Action Network USA — www.spanusa.org.
• Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics: Data about suicide in Alaska — www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/bvs/data/default.htm.
• Alaska Violent Death Reporting System (AK VDRS) — www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/ipems/AKVDRS/Default.htm.

SOURCE: Alaska Division of Behavioral Health

Warning signs a person is in acute risk for suicide:
•Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself.
• Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other means.
• Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide when these actions are out of the ordinary for the person.

Additional warning signs:
• Feeling hopeless.
• Feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge.
• Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities — seemingly without thinking.
• Feeling trapped — like there’s no way out.
• Increased alcohol or drug use.
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society.
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep or sleeping all the time.
• Experiencing dramatic mood changes.
• Seeing no reason for living or having no sense of purpose in life.

SOURCE: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline