Citation

Abdalla SM, Keyes KM, Galea S. Public Health Rep. (1974) 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Association of Schools of Public Health)

DOI

10.1177/0033354920965263

PMID

33108975

Abstract

Gun-related violence is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. In 2016, more than 37 000 firearm-related deaths occurred in the country. Furthermore, 2 or 3 firearm-related injuries occur for each firearm-related death. The burden of gun violence poses for the health of the population is disproportunately larger than it is in many countries. About 35% of the global firearm-related suicides occur in the United States and, compared with other high-income countries, firearm-related homicide rates are 25 times higher in the United States.

Increasing evidence links high rates of gun violence to the ubiquity of guns, high prevalence of firearm ownership, and low barriers to accessing firearms in the USA. Several high-income countries have reduced firearm voilence through interventions that reduced the availability of gund. For example, after a mass shooting tragedy in 1996, the government of Australia carried out a national reform that restricted ownership of legal firearms, established a firearmsregistry, and implemented a permit requirement , among other measures...

Language: en