Transcript Firearm Safety - Injury Free Coalition for Kids

Firearm Safety
Firearm Safety
Michael P. Hirsh, M.D., FAACP.
Types
of
Firearms
Types of Firearms
•Handgun - a firearm that is held and
fired with one hand
•Rifle -A firearm with a rifled bore,
•
designed to be fired from the
shoulder. An artillery piece or
naval gun with spiral grooves.
Shotgun - a light, smooth-bored gun,
often double-barreled,
specially designed for firing
small shot at short range, and
killing small game.
Epidemiology
Epidemiology
Firearm Injury Statistics
•Everyday 11 people under 19 are killed by firearms.
•1968 to 1991 study, firearm-related deaths in 1991
exceeded the number of motor vehicle related deaths
in the United States.
Firearm related injuries are the second leading cause
of death for children ages 10-14 yrs.
It is estimated that the number of children sustaining
non-fatal firearm injuries is four to five times greater
than the number of children who die from such
injuries each year.
Handguns account for the majority of firearm related
injuries in the United States.
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Epidemiology
Continued
Epidemiology Cont’d
Firearm Prevalence Statistics
• Approximately 50% of all US homes have a
firearm.
• Over 50% of handguns are stored loaded or
with the ammunition
• Keeping a gun in the home increases the
.
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chances of a homicide by three times and
increases the chances of a suicide by five
times.
A gun kept in a household is 43 times more
likely to kill someone that the family
knows than to kill someone in self-defense.
77% of violent deaths in schools are caused
by firearms.
Firearm Exposure in
Firearm
Facts
in
Children
Children
•Children watch an average of 45 violent
acts on TV each day.
•Playing with toy guns may contribute to
unintentional shootings.
Cost to Healthcare
Cost to Healthcare
•In 1994, the mean cost per injury due to
gunshots was approximately
$17,000.
•The injuries due to gunshots in 1994
alone,created a projected $2.3
billion in medical costs over a
lifetime.
•Of the $2.3 billion, $1.1 billion will be
paid by taxpayers.
Cost of Prevention
Cost of Prevention
•Not having a gun in the house $0
•Trigger locks for guns
$10
•Lockable cabinet
$30 -$50
•Home firearm safety training $50-$100
•Fire-resistant safe
$1500
•Preventing a child death . . . Priceless
Firearm Injuries are
Preventable
Firearm Injuries Are
Preventable
Keep
Children
Safe
Firearm Safety Tips
• Parents and gun manufacturers need to
take responsibility for safety.
• Research shows that telling children not to
touch guns does not work.
Firearm Safety Tips
Firearm Safety Tips
•Don’t buy a gun unless you know how
to use it safely.
•Store it unloaded and locked up.
•Lock it out of children’s reach.
•Lock up ammunition separately from
the gun.
•Keep trigger locks on your guns for
extra prevention, or disassemble your
gun completely.
GunFor
Buyback
Programs
Further Information
Raise awareness about gun
violence
 Demonstrate the need for
home gun safety

For Further
Information
For Further Information
Contact:
•American Academy of Pediatrics at
http://www.aap.org
•American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry at
http://www.aacap.org
References
For Further
References
Information
1.
2.
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7.
Center to Prevent Handgun Violence. Children & guns: a lethal
combination. Washington: The Center; 2000.
American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org.
Stennies G, Ikeda R, Leadbetter S, Houston B, Sacks J. Firearm
storage practices and children in the home, United States, 1994. Arch
Pediatr Adolesc Med 1999;153: 586-90.
Cummings P, Grossman DC, Rivara FP, Koepsell TD. State gun storage
laws and child mortality due to firearms. JAMA 1997;278:1084-6.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
www.aacap.org/info_families/NationalFacts/coGunViol.htm.
Harruff RC. So-called accidental firearm fatalities in children and
teenagers in Tennessee, 1961-1988. Am J Forensic Med Pathol
1992;13:290-8.
Effectiveness in disease and injury prevention: deaths resulting from
firearm- and motor-vehicle-related injuries-United States, 19681991. MMWR Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep 1994;43:37-42.