LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Starting Sunday, people in Lexington and northern Kentucky must dial all 10 digits of a phone number, even if the call is local.
This change is being made in preparation for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's new number.
Similar to dialing 911 for emergencies, people across the country will be able to dial 988 to reach the lifeline.
Since the 859 area code has some seven-digit numbers that begin with 988, the Federal Communications Commission will require 10-digit dialing for local calls.
The lifeline will go into effect in July 2022. Until then, people are still asked to call 1-800-273-8255 when in crisis.
