Firearm Related Deaths

Several days ago Hive account@fernowl13 posted Cell phone deaths on the rise, will they surpass gun deaths? comparing the rate of cell phone related deaths to the rate of firearm related deaths. In this article she used data from Gun Violence Archive (GVA). In this post I wanted to back up the number she used with data from the CDC.

The CDC has two different programs for obtaining data from their database. One is called CDC Wonder and the other is WISQARS. I found WISQARS much easier to use.

Here's the data from WISQARS on deaths related to firearms in 2016:

Exactly the same number Hive account@fernowl13 had found. This is the number that is normally used in reporting gun violence and technically it's true, but Hive account@fernowl13 is correct when she says it is misleading. Breaking this down with data from WISQARS you get:

Now look at this data in a pie chart:

Clearly over half the deaths associated with firearms are suicides according to the CDC. In an earlier post Gun Control Measures I talked about the proposed solutions to gun control being ineffective, that criminals that want a gun will find a way to get that gun. Similarly, people that want to commit suicide will commit suicide, whether it's with a gun or some other method.

If we truly want to reduce the number of deaths associated with guns, the answer lies in attacking the largest portion of the pie, suicide. If we work on addressing the mental health issues associated with suicide and some violent behavior, these numbers could be used as a measure of success or failure.

By the way Hive account@fernowl13, I don't believe cell phones or guns should be taken away, just used in a more responsible manner. If you're driving a vehicle and using your cell phone, you are not being responsible.