Suicide is more common in places with more guns

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The relationship between gun prevalence and suicide is stronger than the relationship between guns and homicide, as the Harvard Injury Control Research Center’s Means Matter project shows. People who die from suicide are likelier to live in homes with guns than people who merely attempted suicide, and states with higher rates of gun ownership have higher rates of gun suicide.

This isn’t proof of causality, but many of the complicating factors that would disprove a causal relationship — say, the possibility that people in rural areas are both likelier to own guns and likelier to be depressed — don’t check out; depression actually isn’t higher in rural areas, for example. And the causal mechanism by which guns would increase suicide rates is plausible. Studies suggest that suicide attempts using guns are fatal in the vast majority of cases, while attempts using cuts or poisoning are only fatal 6 to 7 percent of the time…
 
Please make sure you support any local or state initiatives that advocate for a safer, healthier, and happier society related to guns. This is a significant problem.
 
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TK421 said:
Studies suggest that suicide attempts using guns are fatal in the vast majority of cases, while attempts using cuts or poisoning are only fatal 6 to 7 percent of the time…
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I’m not sure I needed Vox to tell me guns are effective tools for killing. Is that the point of this article?
 
Guns are psychologically easier for killing compared to alternative methods, especially for men and at-risk boys. This is decreasing life expectancy in the country because of the prevalence of guns.
 
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Correlation does not equal causation.
One could easily say sudokus increased ever since the Advent of social media.

Besides it is neither cheap or easy to unlife oneself with a gun. I can think of an easy, cheap, and painless way to unlife ones self with supplies anyone can buy off Amazon. This entire article is just propaganda for more restrictive gun control.

But, let’s humor the leftist fantasies of Vox and friends and let’s say guns were completely banned from the public. Not even getting into criminals having an easier time taking advantage of people, but focusing on those whom want to commit sudoku.

If I REALLY wanted to unlife myself, I could easily buy a razor or a knife or a box cutter and do the deed. Should we ban those in a sharp objects like you did guns? What about cars? I can easily drive myself off a cliff or into a river or suffocate myself with carbon monoxide.

The problem with Vox the rest of the leftists that advocate for gun control or gun bans ( when it comes to the suicide argument) is that they’re not going after the cause of extreme despair. Instead they want to go after tools in a vain attempt to stop people from offing themselves.

Banning tools won’t prevent or stop these people from their own despair. Getting these people the help they need, will.
 
Good that you forcus on prevention and responsibility. However, it is quite interesting that guns are now evil again - what with thousands falling to Covid-19. Someone have an agenda? Why not pass a law against Covid-19? Would be just as effective.

Rather: Why are they thinking suicide? Are they all mentally unstable? Is it the trash they are taught in school? Is it the garbage on TV? The incessant killing in games? Is it the critical importance placed on social MEDIA? All of the above - and more.

The means of suicide is a symptom, not a cause. Passing more and more and more laws has the effect of turning the law abiding into law breakers. Is this good for society? More laws are just plain stupid. We have thousands!

If we cannot stop murder with laws, how are we going to stop lesser crimes? How about acts which are not even criminal? The solution lies elsewhere, while preserving human liberty.

How do you teach responsibility? A lot of untrained frightened people are buying weapons and this will result in tragedy. Does not mean we need more and more laws. We need more responsibility, which is generally lacking.

Now, how about the 103 American babies, toddlers, elementary , middle school young adults, adults and elderly who die each day? This is a national tragedy and is almost completely ignored. A certain epidemic. Why is this not front page news? What is the cause of this epidemic?

Traffic accidents.

I guess those deaths are acceptable.
 
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Elias said:
Correlation does not equal causation.
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But it is enough to consider taking action. When the correlation between smoking and lung cancer and heart disease was realized, action was taken to discourage smoking, even though proof of the mechanism of causation was not immediately known. Now we know more, but we didn’t wait to find out those details before we took action.

Correlation is suggestive of causation, and if no reasonable alternative explanations for a correlation is found, it is a reasonable hypothesis that it is causation.
Besides it is neither cheap or easy to unlife oneself with a gun.
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When one is contemplating suicide, the cost of the weapon is not high in their minds.
This entire article is just propaganda for more restrictive gun control.
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The article was not promoting gun control. It was exposing facts about guns and suicide. If you think the facts are wrong, dispute the facts. Calling them “leftist” does not make facts untrue.
But, let’s humor the leftist fantasies of Vox and friends and let’s say guns were completely banned from the public.
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This is a total straw man argument. Especially so since Vox was not recommending any specific measures. If the facts they present make you think such measures are necessary, then don’t blame the facts.
The problem with Vox the rest of the leftists that advocate for gun control or gun bans ( when it comes to the suicide argument) is that they’re not going after the cause of extreme despair. Instead they want to go after tools in a vain attempt to stop people from offing themselves.
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It is not a vain attempt. Studies and interviews of people who have attempted suicide show that bouts of deep depression are often transitory, and if the victim can avoid killing himself for a short period of time, he may get help and live.
Banning tools won’t prevent or stop these people from their own despair. Getting these people the help they need, will.
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Again with the straw man argument! You can’t get someone help after they have killed themself.
 
@po18guy

The article was last updated 2018. In any case, I read it just recently and it’s always highly relevant.

Because there’s a large sum of data over a broad demographic, we would be able to know reasonably well if there isn’t necessarily a causation or if it’s a statistical artefact, but that isn’t the case. Suicide is consistently higher where guns are more prevalent, and that is because it is psychologically easier to commit suicide (or homicide) with a gun as opposed to an alternative. It’s not just about the efficacy of the weapon although of course that is also part of it.
 
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As a Democrat, I have to say Democrats have to evolve to make it a State’s Right Issue. Again, I think what you are missing as the OP is regional culture. That’s why the Right tends to call the Left Authoritarian, not because they are but because we speak from the perspective of Blue States not considering Red States.

Again, I wouldn’t own a gun and in my state gun ownership has it’s restrictions but again that is why I live in my state and not another state. Again, that is the regional culture of the State and I don’t think anyone feels oppressed by it. Other States are different and have different histories and regional cultures related to guns. So, in my opinion Democrats have to let the whole Federal Approach to guns go and instead see it as a State’s Rights issue.

I think when it comes to Covid, the President has largely taken the approach of delegating to the States. Many States have adjusted to that, but some States like New York are behind the curve and still looking for Federal Direction and support. It’s a new world now, each State is on it’s own. So, in the future I hope Democrats adjust more to that.
 
OK. Responsible parents secure anything dangerous from children who are untrained, right? Prescription drugs, car, power tools, knives, ropes (auto-erotic and hanging suicides), and yes, even guns.

Part of being a good parent. Oh, don’t we wish there were more of those?

Of note: There are essentially no guns in private hands in South Korea. Yet, it leads in suicides by far. curious.
 
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@po18guy

S. Korea is a unique and different country with a different set of problems and a different mindset. It’s a very nonviolent place but it’s also plagued to a greater degree with workaholicism, extremely low birth rates, social ostracization & isolation, etc. The point is that if it theoretically had a gun culture, those suicide rates - which are already high - would be even higher.

USA is a large country with over 300 million people, and the correlation between guns and suicide is strong across geographic location and demography. The argument wouldn’t be strong if we were just looking at a few communities but that isn’t the case. The larger and broader the sample, the harder it is to deny.

Also, it’s not just addressing responsible parenting. Responsible parenting is one of those things that will be talked about until the end of time. It’s a problem with adults of all age ranges and the state has the authority given to it by God to make responsible legislation to protect the welfare of its citizens.
 
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True! But, vehicular deaths are highest in nations with more vehicles. This is interesting statistically speaking, but does not address the underlying problem. Traffic deaths, drug overdose deaths, slip and fall deaths, and the various forms of suicide are the end result. Death is death. Would not our efforts be better spent on interrupting the process before that end point?

I mean we can stop bank robberies by outlawing banks. But what would that accomplish?
 
Elias said:
Besides it is neither cheap or easy to unlife oneself with a gun. I can think of an easy, cheap, and painless way to unlife ones self with supplies anyone can buy off Amazon.
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What about those who have guns in the house already?
Elias said:
If I REALLY wanted to unlife myself, I could easily buy a razor or a knife or a box cutter and do the deed. Should we ban those in a sharp objects like you did guns? What about cars? I can easily drive myself off a cliff or into a river or suffocate myself with carbon monoxide.
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Shooting yourself is psychologically easier than bleeding to death, drowning etc. Let’s say if im in the middle of a breakdown and I’m hysterical. It’s easy to pick up and press the trigger, than to prepare other methods.

Of course, this doesn’t justify banning guns altogether, we just have to acknowledge that this is a problem and come up with a reasonable solution.
 
Hi TK421,
I’m not sure that that article can make the case it is making.
Increasingly, we are seeing states enact assisted suicide laws. Promoters of these laws have found that voters find the prospect of suicide being noted to be the cause of death repugnant. Consequently, those opting for suicide do not have it listed as cause of death on their death certificates. Instead, one might find cancer, or ALS, or diabetes-some health condition, rather than suicide.
In short, actual suicides (those sanctioned by the state anyway) are being concealed which is going to create difficulties in determining whether suicide is really more common in places with more guns.
Something to ponder.
 
Nope.

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Hey wait a minute! Is this not Vox performing that old slight-of-hand trick known as the shell game?

“(Suicide is) America’s biggest gun problem”

Notice the shift in focus from suicide to guns?

I thought suicide was the greater problem, no matter how it was done(?)

Sidewalks are the main cause of suicide death among jumpers. Followed by rivers and other bodies of water. Do we demolish buildings and bridges? Fence off bodies of water?

I note that they ignore the lives saved by a good guy (or gal) with a gun.

I smell agenda.
 
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It’s Vox, from all sides:
“The AllSides team found that Vox consistently writes favorably about Left-leaning policies and never includes a Right-leaning perspective. Articles on Vox.com have tied President Trump to fascism, and its “Explainers” section almost never includes Right-leaning opinions or viewpoints. Vox’s Explainers provide only one side of an issue, making it seem as if the information provided is all readers need to know, when in reality, Right-leaning individuals would likely include other facts or make different points about the topic. This prevents readers from getting a holistic understanding of the highlighted issues.” Vox News Media
 
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