Firearms Injuries Decrease Dramatically
Strong Downward Trend Shown In Statistical Analysis
Analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from the Firearms Injury Surveillance Study for 1993-1997 shows a dramatic decrease in non-fatal firearms-related injuries for all age categories for children and adolescents.
This decrease coincides with similar drops in accidental firearm fatalities, which reached an all time low in 2000. (The 2001 figures are incomplete and have not been published as of yet.)
The study shows a 37% decrease in the total number of non-fatal firearm related injuries in the 5 year period. The drop is from 28,963 in 1993 to 18,009 in 1997 for children and adolescents ages 0-19. The greatest rates of decrease occurred among the youngest age groups with non-fatal firearms related injuries for children ages 0-4 down 50% and non-fatal firearms related injuries for children ages 5-9 down 76%. The total number of non-fatal firearm injuries for children under 10 dropped 64% from 1308 in 1993 to 465 in 1997. These firearm-related injury numbers would even be lower but the study includes such broadly defined non-penetrating gunshot injuries as those from powder burns, recoil and even pistol-whipping (the use of a firearm as a blunt object in an assault).
In 2000, the number of accidental firearm fatalities in the U.S. fell to an all-time low, according to the National Safety Council's Injury Facts report. The preliminary total of 600 firearm fatalities in 2000 is 25% fewer than in 1999, reflects a 58% drop since 1990 and is the lowest number of fatalities reported since records were first kept in 1903. In the same year accidental firearm fatalities were reduced to 600, the National Safety Council reports accidental drowning deaths in the U.S. numbered 3,900. There were 3,600.deaths from fires and burns and poisonings of all types to 12,100 lives.
