Citation

Rowhani-Rahbar A, Azrael DR, Lyons VH, Simonetti JA, Miller M. Am. J. Public Health 2017; 107(12): 1930-1936.

Affiliation

Ali Rowhani-Rahbar and Vivian H. Lyons are with the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, and the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle. Deborah Azrael is with the Department of Health Policy and Management and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA. Joseph A. Simonetti is with the Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, Denver. Matthew Miller is with the Department of Health Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2017.304072

PMID

29048957

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of loaded handgun carrying among US adult handgun owners, characterize those who carry, and examine concealed carrying by state concealed carry laws.

METHODS: Using a nationally representative survey of US adults in 2015, we asked handgun owners (n = 1444) about their past-30-day carrying behavior.

RESULTS: Among surveyed handgun owners, 24% (95% confidence interval[CI] = 21%, 26%) carried loaded handguns monthly, of whom 35% (95% CI = 29%, 41%) did so daily; 82% (95% CI = 77%, 86%) carried primarily for protection. The proportion of handgun owners who carried concealed loaded handguns in the past 30 days was 21% (95% CI = 12%, 35%) in unrestricted states, 25% (95% CI = 21%, 29%) in shall issue-no discretion states, 20% (95% CI = 16%, 24%) in shall issue-limited discretion states, and 9% (95% CI = 6%, 15%) in may-issue states.

CONCLUSIONS: We estimate that 9 million US adult handgun owners carry loaded handguns monthly, 3 million do so every day, and most report protection as the main carrying reason. Proportionally fewer handgun owners carry concealed loaded handguns in states that allow issuing authorities substantial discretion in granting carrying permits. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 19, 2017: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304072).

Language: en