Player Embed Code: Download Embed Share Lethal Means Safety Defense.gov Sept. 1, 2021 | 1:08 Lethal means safety involves making a method less available and less likely to cause death in a suicide attempt. The goal is to make suicide methods – or means – more difficult to access when someone is at risk for suicide. Research tells us that putting time and distance between an at-risk individual and a means of suicide is an effective way to prevent suicide death.