Study: younger, rural people more likely to die by suicide using a long gun than a handgun; easy access is key - Entrepreneur Generations

A newly published study from Johns Hopkins University highlights the prevalence of rifles and shotguns (long guns) used in rural suicides in Maryland.

Firearms are used in most U.S. fatal suicides, mostly because they're accessible and lethal. Because long guns are less regulated than handguns and ubiquitous in rural areas, they're the weapon of choice for suicide in young and rural populations in Maryland, the authors write.

The study examined all 3,931 Maryland gun suicides from 2003 to 2018. In that time frame, 28.4 percent of gun suicides overall used long guns. In urban counties long guns were used in 16.8% of gun suicides, but in rural counties the figure jumped to 51.6%. After adjusting for demographics, intoxication and hunting season, suicide decendents from the most rural counties were 3.74 times more likely to use long guns than those in the most urban counties.

Long guns were also disproportionately used by the young. Among those who died by suicide at age 18 or younger, 44.6% used long guns, compared to 20.2% among those 65 or older.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/38oJT73 Study: younger, rural people more likely to die by suicide using a long gun than a handgun; easy access is key - Entrepreneur Generations

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