According to HealthDay (2/18, Preidt), investigators “analyzed nearly 4,000 firearm suicides and found that long guns, not handguns, are more often the method of choice for youths and people in rural areas.” Specifically, the “analysis of Maryland data for 2003 to 2018 revealed that about 45% of children and teens used long guns such as rifles and shotguns to kill themselves, compared to 20% of seniors.” The study’s lead author said, “Many of the safety protections that we have in place around the country typically don’t apply to long guns, and the data suggest that our strategy needs to be modified.” The findings were published online Feb. 3 in the journal Injury Epidemiology.
Related Links:
— “Shotguns Often Play Tragic Role in Rural Teens’ Suicides: Study, “Robert Preidt, HealthDay, February 18, 2020