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Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and writer committed suicide on Thursday at age 61.

Bourdain was in France working on an upcoming episode of his award-winning CNN series “Parts Unknown.” A show during which he travels the world tasting foods, meeting people, & sharing stories. His close friend Eric Ripert, the French chef, found Bourdain unresponsive in his hotel room Friday morning.

He advocated for marginalized populations and campaigned for safer working conditions for restaurant staffs. Some called him the “Elvis of bad boy chefs.”

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a survey Thursday showing suicide rates increased by 25% across the United States over nearly two decades ending in 2016. Twenty-five states experienced a rise in suicides by more than 30%, the government report finds.

 In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Written by Clarke Jones

Source: CNN