[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 154 (Friday, September 26, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FIREARMS AND SUICIDE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, a recent article in the New England Journal 
of Medicine examined the link between the presence of guns in the home 
and the chance of suicide. The article, written by Dr. Matthew Miller 
and Dr. David Hemenway, entitled ``Guns and Suicide in the United 
States,'' illustrates a direct correlation between having a loaded 
firearm in a home and the success rate of suicide attempts.
  According to the article, in 2005, the most recent year mortality 
data are available, suicide was the second leading cause of death among 
Americans 40 years of age or younger. More than half of all suicides in 
the United States are carried out by a firearm. An average of 46 
Americans per day committed suicide with a firearm in 2005, accounting 
for 53 percent of all completed suicides.
  Many of the attempts made at suicide are both impulsive and fleeting. 
There is often a very short window between the time a person decides 
they are going to attempt suicide and the time they follow through with 
the attempt. These attempts are often made drastically, in reaction to 
a specific event. However, as the initial reaction to the event 
subsides, so often does the urge to attempt suicide. This is 
illustrated by the fact that more than 90 percent of the people who 
survive a suicide attempt, do not go on to die by suicide. 
Unfortunately, those attempt suicide using a firearm are rarely 
fortunate enough to survive and thus have an opportunity for 
reconsideration. Suicide attempts that involve drugs or cutting have a 
much lower mortality rate.
  The article cites over a dozen studies that have found that there is 
between a two and ten times greater risk of suicide in a home with a 
firearm than without. These risks do not only increase for the gun 
owner but also for the gun owner's spouse and children.
  The simple fact is that guns increase the chance of suicide. Suicide 
prevention is a national problem that demands our attention and 
commitment. Congress must do its part by taking such steps as ensuring 
gun manufacturers supply trigger locks and closing the loopholes that 
allow young people easy access to guns.




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