@article{ref1,
title="Relationship between alcohol use and firearm-involved suicide: findings from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003-2020",
journal="American journal of preventive medicine",
year="2023",
author="Kim, Kawon V. and Rehm, Jürgen and Kaplan, Mark S. and Lange, Shannon",
volume="",
number="",
pages="S0749-3797(23)00475",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Acute alcohol intoxication is a contributing factor in firearm-involved suicides. However, knowledge of the relationship between alcohol intoxication and firearm-involved suicide by age and sex is limited. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the sex- and age group-specific relationship between alcohol intoxication and firearm-involved suicide. <br><br>METHODS: Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, 2003-2020, on suicide decedents (18+ years of age) were utilized. Age-group- and sex-specific multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Statistical analyses were performed in 2023. <br><br>RESULTS: Alcohol intoxication (i.e., having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL or more) was significantly associated with using a firearm as the method of suicide for young (18-34 years; relative risk (RR)=1.31, 95% CI: 1.22-1.40) and middle-aged (35-64 years; RR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.27-1.39) females but not among older females (65+ years; RR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.87-1.17). Among males, the association was significant for all age-groups (young: RR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.25-1.30; middle-aged: RR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.15-1.19; and older: RR=1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.07). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Among males of all ages and young and middle-aged females, alcohol intoxication was associated with increased risk of suicide by firearm-an extremely lethal method that accounts for a majority of suicides in the US-compared to their non-intoxicated counterparts. Interventions targeting excessive alcohol consumption may be effective in reducing suicide mortality rates.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0749-3797",
doi="10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.019",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.019"
}