In the United States of America, every day 92 people on average are killed by firearms, while a further 231 are shot. The burden of fatal firearm injuries varies widely between states and disproportionally affects young black men. US states have enacted different firearm laws to strengthen or deregulate existing federal gun control law.
Bindu Kalesan (Assistant Professor at Boston University and former PhD student at ISPM Bern) and colleagues analyzed nationwide data on firearm legislation and firearm mortality in the US.
The researchers found that of 25 firearm laws, nine were associated with reduced firearm mortality, nine were associated with increased mortality, and seven had an inconclusive association. If the three most effective laws (which require universal background checks for the purchase of firearms and for ammunition, and firearm identification) were implemented everywhere more than 80% of firearm-related deaths could be prevented.
Coauthors of the study included Matthew Mobily and Jeffrey Fagan of Columbia University, and Olivia Keiser from ISPM Bern. The research groups of Bindu Kalesan and Olivia Keiser plan to continue to collaborate in the future.
Link to publication: The Lancet
Picture credit: flickr.com/sloth2048
