Science Confirms The Obvious: Gun Laws Are Associated With Fewer Gun Deaths

[freshwest]

But all that really tells us is that we need more research.

By Shaunacy Ferro - 03.06.2013

Firearm Legislation vs. Fatalities Fleegler et al. (Go to the link below to enlarge or drag to your desktop to enlarge them to read easier if needed.)




In the wake of some particularly high-profile mass shootings, the national debate over gun control is perhaps more heated than ever. Does gun control actually result in fewer deaths? Or does the solution lie in some other kind of protection?

A study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine found that more firearm laws are in fact associated with fewer firearm deaths, although that may not actually tell us whether one leads to the other.

Researchers from Harvard University and the Boston Children's Hospital looked at firearm-related fatalities between 2007 and 2010 and compared each state's rate of firearm fatalities per 100,000 people. They created "legislative strength scores" on a scale of 0 to 28 for each state's firearm laws, with each law counting as one point. (Gun-loving Utah came in with a score of 0, while Massachusetts had the strongest laws with a score of 24.)

For the four years they examined, there were 121,084 gun-related deaths in the U.S. -- 73,702 suicides and 47,382 homicides. The overall fatality rate was 9.9 per 100,000 individuals a year. According to the study, there were about 300 state firearm laws on the books across the nation as of 1999...


A 2011 analysis of gun deaths by The Atlantic showed a similar association:



Had to cut some of it out due to the 4 paragraph copyright rule. The next paragraph gives the reason they say they need to do more research, as there are other factors explained. To see that part and a good deal more with more links and the comments go to:

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-03/science-confirms-obvious-gun-laws-mean-fewer-gun-deaths

This shows which states need more education to promote gun control.