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Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020

Is there evidence that gun-control laws lower suicide rates?

William Boger, Gigafact
yes

Specific legal measures that make it harder to get access to guns have been shown to help reduce the rate of suicides by firearm. Giffords Law Center notes that "suicide attempts are impulsive responses to acute crises." So requiring permits or introducing waiting periods can prevent some attempts.

Laws requiring gun owners to keep their guns secure from youth under a certain age help reduce the risk of youth suicide. "Red flag" protective orders allowing for temporary removal of firearms from at-risk individuals have been shown to help.

Gun owners are almost four times more likely to die by suicide than non-owners, and 9 out of 10 gun-owners succeed in their suicide attempts. While guns are used in less than 10% of all suicide attempts, they account for over half of all suicide deaths.

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