Suicides Account for Most Deaths By Guns
Posted on: Tuesday, 1 July 2008, 03:00 CDT
ATLANTA - The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves.
Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gun-related suicides have outnumbered firearm homicides and accidents for 20 of the last 25 years. In 2005, homicides accounted for 40 percent of gun deaths. Accidents accounted for 3 percent. The remaining 2 percent included legal killings, such as when police do the shooting, and cases that involve undetermined intent.
Public-health researchers have concluded that in homes where guns are present, the likelihood that someone in the home will die from suicide or homicide is much greater.
Studies have also shown that homes in which a suicide occurred were three to five times more likely to have a gun present than households that did not experience a suicide, even after accounting for other risk factors.
In a 5-4 decision, the high court on Thursday struck down a handgun ban enacted in the District of Columbia in 1976 and rejected requirements that firearms have trigger locks or be kept disassembled. The ruling left the district's licensing restrictions for gun owners.
The American Public Health Association, the American Association of Suicidology and two other groups filed a legal brief supporting the district's ban. The brief challenged arguments that if a gun is not available, suicidal people will just kill themselves using other means.
More than 90 percent of suicide attempts using guns are successful, while the success rate for jumping from high places was 34 percent. The success rate for drug overdose was 2 percent, the brief said, citing studies.
Source: Augusta Chronicle, The
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User Comments (1)
| 1. |
Posted by Steve from Tucson on 07/03/2008, 13:18 Just because some 'emotionally disturbed' dweebs want to snuff themselves, doesn't mean the government is justified in crushing my rights to have a means of self defense. Just because a KKK dufus shouts 'death to ******s', or Barack Obama's preacher shouts, 'death to whitey', doesn't mean that the government has the authority to trample my first amendment rights to free speech. Some people want to kill themselves. Too bad for them. Don't come barking at my front door, because of them!!! |
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