New Brady Study

[tyme]

From: jsugarmann@vpc.org
To: ******
Subject: Violence Policy Center Action Network Update

Dear Violence Policy Center Action Network Member:

In the past seven days, the VPC has released two new studies. Last week the VPC
released "Safe at Home: How D.C.'s Gun Laws Protect Children's Lives," which
compares the youth gun suicide rate for every state and the District of Columbia
for the years 2000 through 2002.

Click here for press release and study link,
http://www.vpc.org/press/0507dc.htm.

Not surprisingly, the jurisdictions with the highest youth gun suicide rates are
in the South and West, where gun ownership is higher. The District of Columbia
had no gun suicides, or suicides by any means, during the period because of its
strict gun laws. The study is being used by advocates here and across the
nation to stop National Rifle Association-led efforts to repeal D.C.'s gun laws.

No suicides from 2000 to 2002, eh? They claim to use the NCIPC data... let's see...
http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_sy.html

In 2001 alone there were 21 Firearms Suicides in D.C. according to that database.

(oops, those are total, not 0-16 year suicides)

 

[redhawk41]

i just ran the report:

2000 - 2002, District of Columbia
Suicide Firearm Deaths and Rates per 100,000
All Races, Both Sexes, Ages 0 to 16

and came up with a big fat zero.

did you set an age range?

and what does this mean? * Rates based on 20 or fewer deaths may be unstable. Use with caution.

either way, i find no compelling evidence for the VPC's causitive relationship conclusion.

"...Congress would virtually be writing a death sentence for some young people by repealing District laws that are working to prevent youth suicide."

i could buy this if a firearm was the ONLY way to commit suicide. besides, isn't it illegal to commit suicide?

 

[tyme]

Yeah, I goofed. The form cleared and I didn't re-set all the values.

Maybe kids in D.C. go to Maryland or Virginia to commit suicide?

 

[MeekAndMild]

So what about overdoses, jumping, drowning, cutting and hanging? Stats on gun suicides generally don't tell a whole lot about youth psychopathology, in large part because gun suicides are just a subtraction from the other methods.

 

[Rich Lucibella]

First off, I simply do not buy the CDC Stats:
According to CDC from 2000-2002 there were exactly 3 suicides from all causes in DC for the age group 0-19. It would take me about 15 minutes of news research to prove that stat is just wrong.

Secondly, the VPC causation argument is laughable. It claims with less guns there are less firearms deaths. Somebody needs to clue them in that the "worst" state, by their conclusions has 90% LESS firearms murders in the 0-19 pop than the vaunted Dictrict of Cloumbia:
Alaska: 2.38 Firearms Murders per 100,000; 2000-2002; Age 0-19
DC: 23.76 Firearms Murders per 100,000; 2000-2002; Age 0-19

Which proves a perfectly clear causative link between firearms ownership and drastic reductions in the # of children murdered by gun.
Rich

 

[tyme]

The more I think about it, the more I think that the statistics might be true. Kids who live in D.C. but kill themselves in VA or MD won't show up in D.C. death stats.

The population of D.C. is so small (Wyoming has a smaller total population, but D.C. has the smallest population of kids 0-16) that statistically, even with a bad suicide rate, there would only be several a year. That could easily be absorbed into VA and MD suicide stats, which had 27 and 15 gun suicides, respectively, for those ages during the specified timeframe.

 

[dolanp]

Who even cares? DC still has the highest murder rate in the country.

I would guess the suicide thing has a little to do with most suicides being depressed suburb teen kids taking their dad's gun and offing themselves. If Dad would be a felon to even have a gun in the house, then that would mitigate those circumstances.

 

[KSFreeman]

D.C. is heavily African-American, don't blacks have very low rates of suicide?

 

[Pyrozen]

I would be willing to bet that the stats are accurate but that doesn't mean it is attributable to strict gun control laws. It could be attributable to a large number of factors and to say that gun control laws are responsible is very narrow-minded IMHO.

 

[tyme]

Good catch!
1999 - 2002, United States
(Race Number Population annual rate per 100k)

suicide, ages 0 to 16, guns only:
White 1,137 213,374,383 0.53
Black 104 44,739,846 0.23

suicide, ages 0 to 16, all methods:
White 2,384 213,374,383 1.12
Black 268 44,739,846 0.60

suicide, all ages, all methods:
White 109,216 925,786,310 11.80
Black 7,808 147,641,649 5.29

 

[Eghad]

if you compared the crude rates of the search engine between Texas and DC DC would have the higher crude rate for all firearms deaths......

so much for the study