News From Firearms Forum - Firearms Deaths Down

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THE National Center for Health Statistics^ (NCHS) most recent "Deaths From 282 Selected Causes, By 5-Year Age Groups, Race, and Sex" data covers calendar year 1996. The National Safety Council^s (NSC) "Accident Facts: 1997 Edition" provides certain data for years 1903-1995 (and estimates for 1996 and 1997). Facts below, relating to 1996, are based upon NCHS data. Those relating to trends over various periods of time are based additionally on NCHS and NSC data for previous years. NSC^s estimates, often in years past significantly in error, are not used herein. Highlights ï There are fewer fatal firearm accidents today than ever before. The annual number of fatal firearm accidents fell to an all-time low in 1996. ï Fatal firearm accidents have been decreasing for decades. They^ve decreased 65% since 1930, while the U.S. population has more than doubled and the number of guns has more than quadrupled. They decreased 7% from 1995-1996 alone, 22% during the last decade. ï The fatal firearm accident rate is also at an all-time low, having declined 88% since the all- time high in 1903, 33% during the last decade, and 20% in the last year. ï Firearm accidents account for only 1% of fatal accidents and only 0.05% of all deaths in the U.S. ï Fatal firearm accidents among children are at an all-time low, down 75% since 1975. Annual fatal accident numbers In 1996 fatal firearm accidents fell to an all-time annual low, 1,134, a 7% decrease from 1995; a 22% decrease from 1986. Since 1930, fatal firearm accidents have decreased 65%, while the U.S. population has more than doubled and the number of firearms has more than quadrupled. (Population: Census Bureau; Firearms: BATF) Other fatal accidents: motor vehicles (43,649), falls (14,986), poisoning (9,510), fire (3,741), drowning (3,488), suffocation on ingested object (3,206), and medical mistakes (2,919). 1995-1996 Trends From 1995-1996, the annual number of fatal firearm accidents decreased 7% (from 1,225 to 1,134). By comparison, the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents increased (43,363 to 43,649), as did accidental deaths due to falls (13,986 to 14,986), poisoning (9,072 to 9,510), suffocation on ingested object (3,185 to 3,206) and medical misadventures (2,712 to 2,919). Decreasing slightly were accidental deaths due to fires (3,761 to 3,741) and drowning (3,790 to 3,488). Fatal accidents as percentages of accidental deaths nationwide Of 94,948 fatal accidents nationwide in 1996: firearms (1%), motor vehicles (46%), falls (16%), poisonings (10%), fires (4%), drownings (4%), chokings on ingested objects (3%), and medical mistakes (3%). Fatal accidents as percentages of all deaths nationwide Of 2,314,690 deaths nationwide in 1996, fatal firearm accidents accounted for 0.05%. Other accidents: motor vehicles (2%), falls (0.6%), poisoning (0.4%), fire (0.2%), drowning (0.2%), suffocation on ingested object (0.1%), and medical mistakes (0.1%). Annual fatal accident rates In 1996 the fatal firearm accident rate fell to an all-time low (0.4 per 100,000 pop.), an 88% decrease since 1904. Other rates: motor vehicles (16.5), falls (5.6), poisoning (3.6), fire (1.4), drowning (1.3), suffocation on ingested object (1.2), and medical mistakes (1.1%). The anti-gun CDC^s "Cars & Guns" comparison In 1996, Congress passed legislation to curtail the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention^s (CDC) repeated use of the taxpayers^ money to fund politically-motivated, scientifically inept "studies" by researchers with a known anti-firearm bias. In one of its most blatant attempts to promote "gun control," the CDC claimed that licensing of gun owners and registration of firearms would reduce firearms accidents because licensing of drivers and registration of cars allegedly caused fatal motor vehicle accidents to decline between 1968 and 1991. The claim was a complete fraud, for the following reasons: Between 1968-1991, without gun registration and gun owner licensing, the fatal firearms accident rate dropped 50%, the motor vehicle accident rate only 37%. The firearms rate declined more, and the motor vehicle rate declined less, than the other three major accident types: work-related (down 49%), home (down 41%) and other public non-motor-vehicle (down 38%). Today, firearm accidents continue to decline, while motor vehicle accidents are rising. Driver licensing and vehicle registration laws were imposed mostly before World War II and motor vehicle fatal accident rates didn^t begin declining until 1970. Driver licensing and vehicle registration laws were imposed to generate revenue, not for safety. Motor vehicle accidents rose sharply after the 1930s, when most vehicle registration and driver licensing laws were imposed, and have increased each year since 1992. By comparison, fatal firearm accidents have decreased. Fatal firearm accidents among children Fatal firearm accidents fell to 138 in 1996, an all-time low; motor vehicles (3,015), drowning (966), fires (761), suffocation on ingested object (211), falls (111), poisoning (109) and medical mistakes (94). Since 1975, fatal firearm accidents have decreased 75%, 24% since 1995. As a percentage of accidental deaths?Of 6,384 fatal accidents, firearms were involved in 2%, motor vehicles (47%), drownings (15%), fires (12%), suffocation on ingested object (3%), falls (2%), poisonings (2%) and medical mistakes (2%). As a percentage of all deaths?Of 42,765 deaths in 1996, firearm accidents accounted for 0.3%, motor vehicles (7%), drowning (2%), fires (2%), suffocation on ingested object (0.5%), falls (0.3%), poisoning (0.3%), and medical mistakes (0.2%). Why have firearm accidents among children declined? The Oct. 1, 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association presented a study that concluded that so-called "Child Access Prevention" (CAP) laws, imposed in 12 states between 1989-1993, were responsible for decreases in fatal firearm accidents among children. The article was written by individuals from the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, a group active in the HELP (Handgun Epidemic Lowering Plan) Network, an anti-gun organization geared to "changing society^s attitude toward guns so that it becomes socially unacceptable for private citizens to have handguns." Among the study^s flaws, it ignored the fact that the decline in fatal firearm accidents among children began in the mid-1970s, not in 1989, when "CAP" laws started to be imposed. It ignored the fact that the decrease in fatal firearm accidents among children has been nationwide, not only in the 12 CAP states. And it ignored the fact that in 1989, not only were "CAP" laws starting to be imposed (ultimately in 12 states), NRA^s Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program (discussed below) was introduced (ultimately nationwide). (For more information, please refer to the NRA-ILA "Child Access Prevention Laws" Fact Sheet.) How anti-gun groups grossly exaggerate the number of gun accidents involving children Anti-gun groups such as the Children^s Defense Fund have deceptively claimed that firearms are involved in the deaths of 10 "children" every day, 5,000-plus "children" every year. They do so by defining "children" to include anyone under age 20, because 85% of firearm-related deaths (homicides, suicides and accidents) in that age group are accounted for by juveniles and young adults ages 15-19. In 1996, there were 4,613 firearm deaths among persons ages 0-19: 692 (15%) among children and 3,921 (85%) among juveniles and adults ages 15-19. Firearm deaths among 15-19-year olds included homicides (2,457, 63%), suicides (1,147, 29%), accidents (238, 6%), and those unexplained (79, 2%). Among children, firearm deaths included homicides (379, 55%), suicides (162, 23%), accidents (138, 20%) and those unexplained (13, 3%). Anti-gun groups often compare the total number of firearm homicides, suicides and accidents (called "deaths due to gunfire" and compare that number to the number of deaths due to certain diseases or accidents, declaring that "gunfire" is the "xth leading" cause of death among "children." Often, they further skew their computations by excluding deaths among persons under one year old, which rarely involve firearms. The cost of firearms injuries Recently, anti-gun activists have renewed earlier efforts to promote lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, seeking to hold them financially liable for injuries related to the criminal or negligent misuse of firearms. In 1998, several U.S. cities filed or threatened to file such lawsuits, though courts have previously rejected such cases as groundless. (See NRA-ILA "Product Liability" Fact Sheet) The cities allege that manufacturers should be liable for the cost of medical treatment of firearminjuries. The cost of medical treatment of firearm injuries was roughly $1.4 billion in 1990 (Wendy Max and Dorothy P. Rice, "Shooting in the Dark: Estimating the Cost of Firearm Injuries," Health Affairs, Vol. 12, No. 4, Winter 1993, p.171.) , roughly one- fifth of 1% of the nation^s medical costs (Dept. of Commerce, Statistical Abstract of the United States 1997, p. 112.). Medical costs of motor vehicle accidents reached $21.2 billion in 1996. (NSC) Not measured are medical costs not incurred by persons who use firearms to prevent violent crimes and associated injuries, or benefits achieved because armed citizens deter some criminals, facilitate the arrest of others, and fatally shoot other criminals in self-defense. Criminologist Gary Kleck^s analysis of national crime victimization surveys indicates that people who use firearms for self-defense are less likely to be injured than people who use other, or no, means of defense. (Kleck, Targeting Guns, N.Y.: Aldine deGruyter, 1997, pp. 184, 190.) Education is the key Voluntary firearms safety training, not government intrusion, has caused firearms accidents to decline. Nationwide, 39,000 NRA Instructors and Coaches conduct firearm safety and proficiency programs reaching more than 700,000 program participants annually. Young Americans benefit from learning firearms safety in NRA programs offered through civic groups such as the Boy Scouts, Jaycees, and the American Legion, and schools. (For more information, call NRA^s Education and Training Division, at 703-267-1500.) NRA^s Eddie Eagle® Gun Safety Program teaches schoolchildren pre-K through 6th grade that if they encounter firearms without supervision they should "STOP! Don^t Touch. Leave The Area. Tell An Adult." Since 1988, Eddie Eagle has been used by more than 10,000 schools and law enforcement agencies to reach more than 12 million children. In 1993, Eddie Eagle^s creator, later NRA President, Marion Hammer, received the National Safety Council^s Citation for Outstanding Community Service. In 1994, Eddie Eagle received The National School Public Relations Association Golden Achievement Award, and the American Legion passed a resolution encouraging its posts and departments to introduce Eddie Eagle to schools and law enforcement agencies. In 1995, the program received the Legion^s National Education Award, honoring NRA for its active role in preventing accidents among children; the Legion^s Child Welfare Foundation awarded it a $25,000 grant to assist law enforcement agencies in teaching Eddie Eagle^s safety message. Nine state legislatures have passed resolutions or enacted bills, and governors in three states have issued proclamations, commending the program. In Florida, then-Governor Lawton Chiles proclaimed Dec. 1-7, 1996, Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Week. In 1996, the National Safety Council^s Youth Activities Division^s Awards & Recognition Committee gave the program its "Award of Merit" for "outstanding contribution for programs and/or activities that promote safety and health, save lives, lessen injury and reduce economic loss." (For more information, call NRA^s Eddie Eagle Department, 703-267-1573 or NRA.Org/Eddie.Main.HTML)

Uploaded: 11/20/1999