A study on the effect of war on the suicide rate in Jaffna, Sri Lanka from 1980-1989 is reported. There was a marked drop in the suicide rate during the war, notably among males & youth. An inverse relationship between suicide & homicide rates was shown in the overall trends, particularly in 1987. It is hypothesized that war may function as an alternative to suicide. The use of agrochemicals for suicidal purposes declined during the war, while alary seeds became more popular. (15 refs.)