Sad spotlight for Vallejo in the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why"

VALLEJO, California (KGO) – The city of Vallejo, in the East Bay, is becoming a popular place for movies, commercials and other news stories. The most controversial series shot in Vallejo was the Netflix "13 Reasons Why" series, which deals with teen suicide.

A recent study shows that teen suicide rates have increased just after the series aired in 2017.

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With its old and charming appearance, the downtown Vallejo would like to consider itself as an ideal destination for Hollywood.

Jack Martin, a resident here, said Netflix's "13 Reasons" series had brought many curious teenagers and families to Vallejo.

"I saw kids and teens come on the set, take pictures, take selfies because they could understand that," said Martin.

RELATED: "13 Reasons Why" Launches Mental Health Debate

Vallejo likes to brag about the series filmed here. In fact, several filming locations are highlighted on the official website of the visitor's office.

The Crestmont Theater is featured in the series and on the website.

The Baker's Drug Store is not there, it's really an art store.

While Vallejo is trying to make these places emblematic, a new study shows that Netflix's "13 Reasons" issue was associated with a 28.9% increase in the suicide rate among youth aged 10 to 17 during the month following the release of these programs. The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Some residents here are not surprised.

"So people think oh, it's a great idea and you know I've kind of thought about doing it, but now I'm going to do it for sure now that they've been part of this series, I just think you have to pay attention to the way you present things, "Greg Goins said.

Netflix said on Tuesday: "By highlighting these difficult topics, we hope our show will help viewers engage in a conversation, but if you struggle with these issues yourself, this series may not be right for you. you want to look at him with a trusted adult. "

The Vallejo Town Hall remains outside the debate and the visitor's office stated that, although saddened by the study, he was not considering taking the photos from the series on the website, claiming that this would help put Vallejo on the map.