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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings.

BACKGROUND: After a 1996 firearm massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people died, Australian governments united to remove semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles from civilian possession, as a key component of gun law reforms. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Australia's 1996 major gun law reforms were associated with changes in rates of mass firearm homicides, total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides, and whether there were any apparent method substitution effects for total homicides and suicides. DESIGN: Observational study using official statistics. Negative binomial regression analysis of changes in firearm death rates and comparison of trends in pre-post gun law reform firearm-related mass killings. SETTING: Australia, 1979-2003. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in trends of total firearm death rates, mass fatal shooting incidents, rates of firearm homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm deaths, and of total homicides and suicides per 100,000 population. RESULTS: In the 18 years before the gun law reforms, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, and none in the 10.5 years afterwards. Declines in firearm-related deaths before the law reforms accelerated after the reforms for total firearm deaths (p = 0.04), firearm suicides (p = 0.007) and firearm homicides (p = 0.15), but not for the smallest category of unintentional firearm deaths, which increased. No evidence of substitution effect for suicides or homicides was observed. The rates per 100,000 of total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides all at least doubled their existing rates of decline after the revised gun laws. CONCLUSIONS: Australia's 1996 gun law reforms were followed by more than a decade free of fatal mass shootings, and accelerated declines in firearm deaths, particularly suicides. Total homicide rates followed the same pattern. Removing large numbers of rapid-firing firearms from civilians may be an effective way of reducing mass shootings, firearm homicides and firearm suicides.

Australia↗
PubMed1999

Household firearm storage practices: do responses differ by whether or not individuals ever use firearms?

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence with which firearms are stored loaded or unlocked has been measured in previous surveys. Our purpose was to compare household firearm storage practices reported by firearm users and nonusers. METHODS: We analyzed telephone survey data from the 1992 and 1993 Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on 2454 randomly selected adults in households with firearms. We compared reported firearm storage practices among persons who ever used firearms with persons who had never used firearms by demographics and type of firearm. RESULTS: Nonusers of firearms were much less likely than firearm users to report that household firearms were always or sometimes stored loaded [odds ratio (OR) = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI):0.36-0.54] or stored loaded and unlocked (OR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.36-0.57). Except for persons aged 18 to 34 years and persons in handgun-only households, differences in reported firearm storage practices between nonusers and users varied little by demographic characteristics or by type of firearm. Nonusers of household firearms may be unaware that firearms are stored loaded or stored loaded and unlocked in their homes. CONCLUSIONS: Surveys that do not consider firearm use status may underestimate household exposure to loaded firearms or to loaded and unlocked firearms.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Firearm homicide and firearm suicide: opposite but equal.

OBJECTIVE: Homicide and suicide are intentional acts of violence that disproportionately involve firearms. Much more effort has been devoted to the ecological study of homicide; methods that have been developed to better understand and subsequently prevent homicide may be applicable to suicide. The purpose of the present study was to compare the occurrence of firearm homicide and firearm suicide using routine activity theory as a framework for analysis. METHODS: Detailed mortality data pertaining to decedents, their neighborhoods, and use of firearms were collected from 1994 to 1998 for the counties containing and surrounding three small to medium-sized U.S. cities. Data from a total of 468 neighborhoods that collectively experienced 1,025 intentional deaths from firearms (396 firearm homicides and 629 firearm suicides) were analyzed. RESULTS: Firearm homicide was consistently associated with out-of-home, nighttime activity in neighborhoods where many people were likely to be coming and going. In an opposite-but-equal fashion, firearm suicide was consistently associated with in-home, daytime activity in out-of-the-way neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: Firearm homicide and firearm suicide were found to be consistently associated with markers of routine activity in all three cities, albeit in an opposite-but-equal manner. Because firearm suicides very often occur as lonely events in lonely neighborhoods, they may go under-noticed relative to firearm homicides. More awareness and additional public health studies of firearm suicide, in tandem with firearm homicide, should be pursued to better identify individuals and neighborhoods that are at greatest risk of experiencing each event.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Population estimates of household firearm storage practices and firearm carrying in Oregon.

OBJECTIVES: To examine statewide data on exposure of adults and children to loaded and unlocked household firearms, and to estimate the prevalence of firearm carrying among adults in Oregon. DESIGN: Analyses of 1992 and 1993 telephone survey data from 6202 adults aged 18 years and older using the Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of adults and children exposed to household firearms always or sometimes stored loaded and unlocked. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for exposure to loaded and unlocked firearms and firearm carrying among adults by demographic and alcohol use patterns. RESULTS: Ten percent of adults (197 400 persons) lived in households with firearms that were always or sometimes stored loaded and unlocked. An estimated 6.2% of households with children had firearms that were loaded and unlocked, and about 40 000 children lived in these households. Overall, 4.4% of adults carried loaded firearms in the past month. Rural residence, male sex, and less than a college education were associated with living in a household with loaded and unlocked firearms and with firearm carrying. Drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages on 1 or more occasions in the past month (OR, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.3) or drinking 60 or more alcoholic beverages in the past month (OR, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.7) were independently associated with living in households with loaded and unlocked firearms. CONCLUSIONS: Many adults and children are exposed to unsafely stored firearms in Oregon, and many adults carry loaded firearms. Improved public health surveillance of firearm storage and firearm carrying using standardized questions and definitions is needed at the national, state, and local levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Firearm storage practices and rates of unintentional firearm deaths in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association recommend storing firearms unloaded and locked up to minimize the chance of injury. Although these recommendations appeal to common sense, no study has yet addressed whether firearm storage practices influence the risk of unintentional firearm injury. METHODS: Negative binomial regression analyses were used to assess the cross sectional relation between firearm storage practices and rates of unintentional firearm death in the United States, controlling for rates of firearm prevalence, poverty and urbanization. Recently available state-level measures of household firearm prevalence and firearm storage practices were obtained from the 2002 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Unintentional firearm death counts and population data came from the National Center for Health Statistics. RESULTS: Independent of firearm prevalence, urbanization, and poverty, a disproportionately large share of unintentional firearm fatalities occurred in states where gun owners were more likely to store their firearms loaded, the greatest risk occurring in states where loaded firearms were more likely to be stored unlocked. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide empirical support for recommendations issued by the AMA and the AAP that firearms should be stored unloaded and locked, and suggest that promoting safer storage practices could save many lives.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and estimate the number of children exposed to unsafe storage practices. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2002 cross-sectional Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey of 240735 adults from randomly selected households with telephones in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. RESULTS: Nationally, 32.6% of adults reported that firearms were kept in or around their home. The prevalence of adults with household firearms ranged from 5.2% in the District of Columbia to 62.8% in Wyoming (median: 40.8%). The prevalence of adults with loaded household firearms ranged from 1.6% in Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New Jersey to 19.2% in Alabama (median: 7.0%), and the prevalence of adults with loaded and unlocked household firearms ranged from 0.4% in Massachusetts to 12.7% in Alabama (median: 4.2%). Among adults with children and youth <18 years old, the prevalence of loaded household firearms ranged from 1.0% to 13.4% (median: 5.3%), and the prevalence of loaded and unlocked household firearms ranged from 0.3% to 7.3% (median: 2.3%); in each instance, Massachusetts had the lowest prevalence and Alabama had the highest. Findings indicate that approximately 1.69 million (95% confidence interval: 1.57-1.82 million) children and youth in the United States <18 years old are living with loaded and unlocked household firearms. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial state variations exist in the prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices. It is vital that surveillance systems such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System continue to monitor the prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices so that future interventions to promote safe storage of firearms can be evaluated and more widely implemented based on their efficacy.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Nonfatal firearm misuse: licence status of perpetrators and legality of the firearms.

The primary aim of this study was to identify the licence status of those involved in incidents of nonfatal firearm-related misuse and to determine the involvement of legal firearms in such incidents. Firearm-related attempted suicides were excluded. The study also sought to identify the types of firearms most likely to be misused. Over a three-month period in early 1994, all nonfatal firearm-related incidents reported in any New Zealand newspaper were identified by a commercial clipping bureau. Data pertaining to the licence status and the legality of the firearm involved in these incidents were obtained from the police who completed a standardized questionnaire under the Official Information Act (1982). Over the study period, 78 incidents yielded information on 97 perpetrators and 100 firearms. Of the 97 perpetrators, 66 per cent were unlicensed, 20 per cent were licensed, the licence status of 8 per cent of the perpetrators was unknown and the remaining 7 per cent were using air guns and therefore a licence was not required. Half of the perpetrators involved in domestic disputes were licensed. Of the 100 firearms, 44 per cent were classified as "legal firearms' and 56 per cent were classified as "illegal firearms'. These findings suggest that strategies aimed at reducing or preventing injury due to firearm misuse must focus on both licensed and unlicensed individuals and both legal and illegal firearms.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed2001

Firearm availability and unintentional firearm deaths.

BACKGROUND: Between 1979 and 1997, almost 30,000 Americans died from unintentional firearm injuries, half of whom were under 25 years of age and 4,600 of whom were less than 15 years old. PURPOSE: To explore the association between state firearm levels and rates of unintentional firearm deaths by age group, accounting for several potential confounders. METHODS: The study used a proxy for firearm availability and pooled cross-sectional time-series data on unintentional firearm deaths for the 50 United States from 1979 to 1997. Negative binomial models were used to estimate the association between firearm availability and unintentional firearm deaths. RESULTS: A statistically significant and robust association exists between gun availability and unintentional firearm deaths for the US as a whole and within each age group. Multivariate analysis found that, compared to states with the lowest gun levels, states with the highest gun levels had, on average, 9 times the rate of unintentional firearm deaths. These results hold among men and women, for Whites and African Americans. CONCLUSION: Of the almost 30,000 people who died in unintentional firearm deaths over the 19-year study period, a disproportionately high number died in states where guns are more prevalent. The results suggest that the increased risk of unintentional violent death among all age groups is not entirely explained by a state's level of poverty, urbanization, or regional location.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Firearm availability and suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths among women.

CONTEXT: In the United States, more than 45,000 women died from gun violence over the last decade. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether measures of firearm availability are related to rates of suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths among women in the United States. DESIGN: Pooled cross-sectional time series data on suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths (1988-1997) were used to estimate the association between the rate of violent death among women and four proxies of firearm availability. Two proxies came from survey reports of household firearm ownership rates; two were derived from mortality statistics. SETTING: United States, 1988-1997. RESULTS: The increased rate of suicide and homicide in states with high gun levels was accounted for primarily by significantly elevated firearm suicide and firearm homicide rates. Unintentional firearm death rates were also increased in states with more guns. At the regional level, qualitatively similar results were obtained. CONCLUSION: Between 1988 and 1997, the suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm death rates among women were disproportionately higher in states where guns were more prevalent. The elevated rates of violent death in states with more guns was not entirely explained by a state's poverty or urbanization and was driven primarily by lethal firearm violence, not by lethal nonfirearm violence.

Accidents↗
PubMed1999

Self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children and adolescents: the source of the firearm.

CONTEXT: The source and ownership of guns used by children to shoot themselves or others is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the ownership and usual storage location of firearms used in unintentional and self-inflicted intentional firearm deaths and injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: King County, Washington. PATIENTS: Youths aged from birth to 19 years who sought medical treatment at a level I trauma center for a self-inflicted or unintentional firearm injury between 1990 and 1995 or who presented to the county medical examiner with a fatal self-inflicted or unintentional firearm injury between 1990 and 1995. DATA SOURCES: County medical examiner records, regional police investigative reports, medical records from a level I trauma center, and surveys of victims' families. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Source and ownership of the associated firearm. RESULTS: Fifty-six fatal injuries and 68 nonfatal firearm injuries that met the criteria were identified. Of these, 59 were intentionally self-inflicted deaths and injuries and 65 were unintentional deaths and injuries. A firearm owned by a household member living with the victim was used in 33 (65%) of 51 suicides and suicide attempts and 11 (23%) of 47 unintentional injuries and deaths. Additionally, a firearm owned by another relative, friend, or parent of a friend of the victim was used in 4 (8%) of the 51 suicides and suicide attempts and 23 (49%) of the 47 unintentional injuries and deaths. Parental ownership accounted for 29 (57%) of the 51 suicides and suicide attempts and 9 (19%) of the 47 unintentional injuries and deaths. More than 75% of the guns used in suicide attempts and unintentional injuries were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend. CONCLUSION: Most guns involved in self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries originate either from the victim's home or the home of a friend or relative.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed2006

Firearms legislation and reductions in firearm-related suicide deaths in New Zealand.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of introducing more restrictive firearms legislation (Amendment to the Arms Act, 1992) in New Zealand on suicides involving firearms. METHOD: National suicide data were examined for 8 years before, and 10 years following the introduction of the legislation. RESULTS: After legislation, the mean annual rate of firearm-related suicides decreased by 46% for the total population (p < 0.0001), 66% for youth (15-24 years; p < 0.0001) and 39% for adults (> or = 25 years; p < 0.01). The fraction of all suicides accounted for by firearm-related suicides also reduced for all three populations (p < 0.0001). However, the introduction of firearms legislation was not associated with reductions in overall rates of suicide for all three populations. CONCLUSIONS: Following the introduction of legislation restricting ownership and access to firearms, firearm-related suicides significantly decreased, particularly among youth. Overall rates of youth suicide also decreased over this time but it is not possible to determine the extent to which this was accounted for by changes in firearms legislation or other causes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Firearm availability and unintentional firearm deaths, suicide, and homicide among 5-14 year olds.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, only motor vehicle crashes and cancer claim more lives among children than do firearms. This national study attempts to determine whether firearm prevalence is related to rates of unintentional firearm deaths, suicides, and homicides among children. METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional time-series data (1988-1997) were used to estimate the association between the rate of violent death among 5-14 year olds and four proxies of firearm availability, across states and regions. RESULTS: A statistically significant association exists between gun availability and the rates of unintentional firearm deaths, homicides, and suicides. The elevated rates of suicide and homicide among children living in states with more guns is not entirely explained by a state's poverty, education, or urbanization and is driven by lethal firearm violence, not by lethal non-firearm violence. CONCLUSION: A disproportionately high number of 5-14 year olds died from suicide, homicide, and unintentional firearm deaths in states and regions where guns were more prevalent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

State estimates of household exposure to firearms, loaded firearms, and handguns, 1991 through 1995.

OBJECTIVES: Variations among states in household exposure to firearms, loaded firearms, and handguns were examined. METHODS: Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 22 states were used to estimate the prevalence of adults and children exposed to household firearms. RESULTS: The prevalence of adults living in households with firearms ranged from 12% to 57%; the corresponding ranges were 1% to 23% for loaded firearms and 5% to 36% for handguns. The prevalence of children less than 18 years of age living in households with loaded firearms ranged from 2% to 12%. CONCLUSIONS: Important variations among states exist in the prevalence of adults and children living in households with firearms, loaded firearms, and handguns.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Physician firearm ownership as a predictor of firearm injury prevention practice.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the relation between physicians' gun ownership and their attitudes and practices regarding firearm injury prevention. METHODS: Internists and surgeons were surveyed, and logistic regression models were developed with physicians' personal involvement with firearms (in the form of a gun score) as the primary independent variable. RESULTS: Higher gun scores were associated with less agreement that firearm injury is a public health issue and that physicians should be involved in firearm injury prevention but with a greater likelihood of reporting the inclusion of firearm ownership and storage as part of patient safety counseling. CONCLUSIONS: Despite being less likely to say that doctors should participate in firearm injury prevention, physician gun owners are more likely than nonowners to report counseling patients about firearm safety.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed2000

Pediatric firearm injury in Minnesota, 1998. Fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries among Minnesota youth.

OBJECTIVE: Minnesota hospitals began to assign E-codes (external cause of injury) to hospital discharge data in 1998. It is now possible to describe the epidemiology of medically treated firearm injury (FI) cases in Minnesota by combining hospital discharge data with injury data from other sources. This population-based investigation provides a preliminary epidemiologic description of fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries in children and adolescents in Minnesota during 1998. METHODOLOGY: Pediatric firearm injury cases were identified from the Minnesota Department of Health's Minnesota Trauma Data Bank, a population-based data system for injury surveillance in Minnesota. To qualify for the study, the patients had to be Minnesota residents, younger than 20 years old at the time of injury, and injured by a firearm in 1998. RESULTS: The 175 cases identified yielded on overall FI rate of 12.5/100,000, a mortality rate of 2.4/100,000, and a nonfatal to fatal ratio of 4.1:1. Eighty-five percent of patients were male; 15% female. The largest proportion of firearm injuries were assault-related (45%), followed by unintentional (34%), and self-inflicted (15%). Adolescents aged 15-19 years accounted for 79% of the injuries, and children 14 or younger, 21%, yielding rates of 37.6/100,00 and 3.5/100,000, respectively. Twenty-two percent of 15-19-year-olds and 11% of children 0 to 14 died, yielding mortality rates of 8.1/100,000 and 0.4/100,000, respectively. Where race was documented, whites represented 53% of the cases; African Americans, 32%; Native Americans, 8%; and Asian/Pacific Islanders, 7%; yielding race-specific rates of 4.1/100,000, 54.3/100,000, 30.5/100,000, and 12.1/100,000, respectively. Sixty-six percent of the patients were residents of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area and 33% were residents of Greater Minnesota, yielding rates of 16.0/100,000 and 8.6/100,000, respectively. In the Twin Cities metro area 24% of injury cases were unintentional, 5% were self-inflicted, 65% were assaultive, and 6% were undetermined. In Greater Minnesota 53% were unintentional, 33% were self-inflicted, 9% were assaultive, and 5% were undetermined. CONCLUSIONS: Minnesota's 1998 rates for firearm injury were less than half the 1997 national rate. The state's FI rates show significant disparities by race and region of residence. More FI data will have to be collected over more years to describe and identify trends and multifactor relationships. Policymakers need to ensure that firearm injury continues to be monitored and assessed in Minnesota.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reduction of firearm-related violence through firearm safety counseling. The role of family physicians.

The United States has a greater percentage of households with guns and more acts of violence than any other country in the western world. Suicide is the nation's eighth leading cause of deaths in the United States, of which 60% are caused by firearms. Homicide is the 11th leading cause of deaths among Americans, of which 70% are caused by firearms. Another 1400 deaths each year are caused by unintentional firearm-related injuries. Most of these deaths can, in part, be attributed to inappropriate behaviors (eg, keeping a loaded and inadequately secured firearm in the home). As respected professionals in the community, family physicians have a unique opportunity to promote behaviors in patients that reduce the risk of firearm-related injuries in patients and their families.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Firearms, firearms injury, and gun control: a critical survey of the literature.

Firearm-related deaths are a major health problem in the United States. Legislation limiting the ownership, sale and use of firearms often is proposed as a means of reducing firearm-related deaths. There is a substantial and growing literature on the epidemiology of firearm-related death, as well as numerous studies grounded in the social sciences. Many of these directly address the issue of the impact of gun control on death rates. This paper provides a survey of existing knowledge of the effects of gun control legislation on firearm-related homicide, suicide, and unintentional fatal injury rates. We identify several major gaps in the literature that need to be addressed in future research.

Firearms↗
PubMed2000

Firearm availability and the use of firearms for suicide and homicide.

In a sample of 36 nations circa 1993, a measure of firearm availability based on the percentages of suicides and homicides using firearms gave better evidence for an association between firearm availability and their use for suicide and homicide than did the accidental firearm mortality rate.

Accidents↗