The ninth leading cause of death for all Americans, and the second leading cause of death for teenagers (ages fifteen to nineteen). Clues as to reasons for taking one’s life may be written in notes for those left behind to decipher. Causes range from revenge against parents to acute depression, to drug and alcohol abuse and at times—as mass suicides of cult followers have shown—the belief in a better afterworld. Romantic notions coexist with socio-psychological interpretations, and the Centers for Disease Control have declared suicide a “serious public health problem.” Copycat behavior of teens following rockstar suicides, the Supreme Court’s intervention in doctor-assisted suicides and the condemnation of the Catholic Church make suicide an act of contested and uncomfortable signification in cultural consciousness.