LAUREL, Del.- Dialing a phone number in Delaware just got a lot more tedious as you now must dial all 10 digits when placing a call.
That means the "302" area code is no longer optional when dialing.
The change comes ahead of the launch of a new national suicide prevention hotline "988," which is expected to go live next summer.
Since some areas have a 988 local code, the full 10 digits are now required to avoid confusion.
John Hastings of Laurel says its an inconvenience, but the reason is important.
"It's getting to be more prevalent anymore, so I would say it's getting to be a serious issue. Somebody needs to deal with it, with some authority," Hastings said.
Kim Webster from Seaford is not in favor of having to dial all 10 digits.
"I just think that mental health issues are certainly very important with a pandemic and everything, but I just can't see having to dial all those digits to make a phone call," Webster said.
The change does not just impact the numbers you dial: all phone numbers saved in contacts without the area code must be updated as well.
