Zeev's Turnips Talk Politics (ZTTP)

[StephanieVanbryce]

Access to Small Arms/Firearms and death rates

• There is limited information on the total mortality and injury caused by small arms in conflict but research shows that when weapons are in circulation, death rates remain high even after conflict has ceased.

• One study compared the rate of weapons injury 5 years before the region came under uncontested control and 1 1/2 years after they came to power. Weapons injury declined only 20-40%. Even after peace was established there was no disarmament and the weapons remained in circulation.

• Another study in Afghanistan examined the circumstances of injuries for six months. One area of the country was at peace, while there were armed conflicts between factions in other regions. There were high rates of non-combat injury, even in the peaceful region: 80 deaths per 100,000, 50% of those were firearm related.

• The link between accessibility to firearms and death rates has been suggested in a number of studies. One study which examined the link between gun ownership rates and firearm deaths within Canadian provinces, the United States, England/Wales and Australia concluded that 92% of the variance in death rates was explained by access to firearms in those areas. Another review of 13 countries showed that there was a strong correlation between gun ownership and homicide rates and suicide rates. No evidence of substitution was found.

• In another study based on a standardized survey of victimization in fifty-four countries, gun ownership was significantly related to both the level of robberies and the level of sexual assaults. The relationship between levels of gun ownership and threats/assaults with a gun is also strong.

• This is underscored by comparisons of the United States and Canada. The costs of firearms death and injury in the two countries have been compared and estimated to be $495 (US) per resident in the United States compared to $195 per resident in Canada. Canada has always had stronger firearms regulation than the United States, particularly with respect to handguns. As a result, Canada has roughly 1 million handguns while the United States has more than 77 million. While there are other factors affecting murder, suicide and unintentional injury rates, a comparison of data in Canada and the United States suggests that access to handguns may play a role. While the murder rate without guns in the US is roughly equivalent (1.3 times) that of Canada, the murder rate with handguns is 15 times the Canadian rate.

http://www.guncontrol.ca/Content/international.html

http://www.guncontrol.ca/English/Home/Home.htm