Why Do I Have to Dial “603” Before Every Call Now? The Change That Could Help Save A Life

In New Hampshire, we're proud of 603, our singular area code. Imminent changes to the phone system will make it a more familiar friend, as it will be required for every local call. Yes, it’s a hassle, but adding those digits to our dialing could be a life-saver.   

The reason for this change: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted “988” as a new 3-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, starting July 16, 2022. Congress got this idea rolling in 2018 when it authorized research on the effectiveness of suicide and mental health crisis hotlines and the feasibility of a nationwide three-digit hotline for mental health issues. 

But creating 988 required some adjustments. With more phones in the US than there are people, we are running out of phone numbers. Since the 1990s, some areas began to add a second area code for local calls to keep up with the growth of cell phones - so that it was necessary to dial the area code and the seven-digit number for a local call.

With the rollout of 988 nationwidethis coming July, Americans will have an easy-to-remember and easy-to-dial three-digit number to reach suicide prevention as well as mental health counselors, just like "911" for emergencies. But for"988" to work, we need to use 10-digit dialing (or 1+10-digit dialing for landlines).

So, today in New Hampshire, the area code transition to ten-digit dialing means you no longer can dial just seven digits to make an instate call.

Ten-digit dialing does not affect your current telephone number. Your phone number, including 603, has not changed. The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates have not changed either- since a local call is still a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.

In an interview with National Public Radio in 2019 when the hotline was first authorized, Madelyn Gould, a Columbia University researcher said the number will not only be easier to remember, it may encourage people in crisis to seek help and talk to someone sooner.

 Suicide is the (10th) tenth-leading cause of death in the US today. In 2019 an estimated 3.5 million people planned suicide, and there were 1.4 million suicide attempts and more than 47,000 deaths by suicide. A suicide impacts not only close family and friends, but also community members, and coworkers - causing grief and trauma for many. 

Nationally, suicide is the second leading cause of death for those aged 10 through 34. The suicide death rates in the Granite State are 35% higher than the national rate (19.27 per 100,000 in NH compared to 14.21 per 100,000 nationally). New Hampshire ranks 12th in America for suicide deaths, while suicide is the 8th leading cause of death across all NH residents.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Starting July 16, 2022, everyone can also dial 988 to reach the Lifeline.

For more information about ways to help people who are struggling with depression and may be considering suicide, visit: https://zerosuicidesnh.org/.