TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2024//
TI  - Transition to permitless open carry and association with firearm-related suicide
JO  - Journal of the American Academy of Surgeons
A1  - Grimsley, Emily A.
A1  - Torikashvili, Johnathan V.
A1  - Janjua, Haroon M.
A1  - Read, Meagan D.
A1  - Kuo, Paul C.
A1  - Diaz, Jose J.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Firearm-related death rates continue to rise in the United States. As some states enact more permissive firearm laws, we sought to assess the relationship between a change to permitless open carry and subsequent firearm-related death rates, a currently understudied topic. STUDY DESIGN: Using state-level data from 2013-2021, we performed a linear panel analysis using state fixed-effects. We examined total firearm-related death, suicide, and homicide rates separately. If a significant association between open carry law and death rate was found, we then performed a difference-in-difference analysis to assess for a causal relationship between changing to permitless open carry and increased death rate. For significant difference-in-difference results, we performed confirmatory difference-in-difference separating firearm and non-firearm death rates. <br><br>RESULTS: Nineteen states maintained a no open carry or permit-required law, while five changed to permitless, and 26 had a permitless open carry prior to 2013. Fixed-effects model indicated more permissive open carry law was associated with increased total firearm-related deaths and suicides. In difference-in-difference, changing law to permitless open carry had a significant average treatment effect on the treated of 1.57 (95% CI 1.05-2.09) for total suicide rate, but no significant for total firearm-related death rate. Confirmatory difference-in-difference found a significant average treatment effect on the treated of 1.18 (95% CI 0.90-1.46) for firearm suicide rate. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Open carry law is associated with total firearm-related death and suicide rates. Based on our difference-in-difference results, changing to permitless open carry is indeed strongly associated with increased suicides by firearm.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1072-7515
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/XCS.0000000000000959
ID  - ref1
ER  -