Making Calls Within the 218 Area Code Will Change in 2021
Making local calls within the 218 area code will change this year as changes are being made to accommodate the new 988 hotline for suicide prevention and mental health help.
Starting on April 24th if you make a local call within the 218 area code you'll need to use the full ten-digit phone number, during this time your call will still be completed if you forget and just use the seven-digit number.
Take this time to get acquainted to the changes because beginning October 24th, 2021 you'll need to dial the full ten-digit phone number or risk not having the call completed and getting a message reminding you to use the ten-digit number before the call can be completed.
The reason for the change is tied to the launching of the new nationwide suicide prevention and mental health 988 hotline. 82 different area codes across the nation include phone numbers with the 988 prefix, because of that the area will need to be added before the number, so the system will work properly.
Other area codes in the region like 715 in Wisconsin already require ten-digits for a local calls, so no change will need to be made. Area code 906 in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the 952 area code around the Twin Cites will also be affected by the change and will need to start using the full ten-digit number.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is currently 1-800-273-TALK (8255), but starting on July 16th 2022, simply dialing 988 on a phone will connect to the lifeline for immediate suicide prevention and mental health help.
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