Cap Guns & kids.

[Mom70x7]

Time to add some fuel to the fire: 


People who live in communities with a lot of guns are more likely to kill themselves, a new study says.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/17/health/17risk.html



Among the 50 states in the United States, those with higher rates of household gun ownership had higher rates of suicide among children, women and men.
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=weblog&id=205&wlid=5&cn=9



57 percent of those who kill themselves do so with a gun.
http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/52/8/999

[Wilma]

I wonder how many of those suicides would have been accomplished some other way if a gun hadn't been available.

[Teresa]

A lot.. a whole whole lot Wilma... 

[Mom70x7]

More specific quotes from the articles listed above:

When people have less access to guns, they are less likely to commit suicide.


75% of all suicide attempts are by the use of drugs. These people are found alive 97% of the time. Those who succeed in using drugs to attempt suicide are successful only 3% of the time. By contrast, more than 90% of all suicide attempts by use of firearms are successful.

The study emphatically states that people are less likely to die when guns are not available.

In my opinion, simply making guns less available is not the complete answer to the problem of suicide because it eliminates a method and not the cause of such despair that leads the young to attempt such an awful act.



The effect of gun control was forcibly brought to me recently when a nonphysician colleague asked me to provide psychopharmacologic consultation for a young man whose engagement to be married had been abruptly terminated. He had thought of killing himself the previous week and had gone to a sporting goods store to buy a gun. I asked whether he had purchased one. He looked at me disappointedly and said, "No—in New York State it takes six months to get a license... a lot of good that does!" That man is alive today, getting treatment, and doing better because some members of the community cared enough to legislate to limit access to firearms.

[sixdogsmom]

And there you have it, the rest of the story. However, it may not be a reason for gun control, but the immediate access to by is probably a good thing. I would like to see illegal guns addressed, how many estimated and how to deal with it. How many guns are illegally exported? Mexico seems to think a lot of them are.

[flo]

. I would like to see illegal guns addressed, how many estimated and how to deal with it. How many guns are illegally exported? .

If you think it is possible to address and control "illegal" firearms, you are dreaming.  They have always been available and they will always be available, but only those who use, need or supply them will know where and how many there are.  That information most likely will never be  made available to the law or law abiding citizens. 

[srkruzich]

And there you have it, the rest of the story. However, it may not be a reason for gun control, but the immediate access to by is probably a good thing. I would like to see illegal guns addressed, how many estimated and how to deal with it. How many guns are illegally exported? Mexico seems to think a lot of them are.

If i was that individual and i was serious about commtting suicide, i would just go down the street and buy one for 50 - 100 bucks.  The fact that he went to a sporting goods store to get one means he wasn't serious.

As far as controlling illegal firearms, you can't.  Not possible.  THe reason why we have such a problem with illegal ones is because of the gun control laws and the background checks.

Third, i have never gone through a background check to obtain a gun. And my guns are legal.  So background checks are as worthless as teats on a bore hog!

[pam]

If somebody has reached the point of seriously wanting to die they are gonna use a method that will work, hopefully quickly, so they use a gun. If they have seriously reached that point they will use whatever they can if guns aren't available. Somebody caring enough to find out why will do more good than outlawing guns will.

[Diane Amberg]

We get pills, guns, razor blades, hanging,  jumping off buildings and bridges, jumping out in front of big trucks, driving into something solid and lying down on train tracks. Very sad.

[pam]

Yes it is......