Gun Availability and the Use of Guns for Suicide and Homicide in Canada

Gun Control Law (BILL C-17), Suicide, and Homicide in Canada

“…Researchers (Leenaars & Lester, 1997, 1998Leenaars, et al, 2000;Lester, 2000) suggested that researchers might investigate the effect of gun control legislation as the data on the use of firearms for suicide and homicidal deaths become available, Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to gauge the effectiveness of such a restrictive approach by examining the effect of the passage of firearm control legislation in Canada in 1991 (Bdl C-17). In addition, a second purpose is to assess whether the availability of firearms affects the frequency of their use in suicide and for homicide, and, if so, does this means, i.e., firearms, of suicide and homicide simply result in displacement of suicidal or homicidal intent to other means, with no overall reduction in the rates of suicide or homicide.…”

“…In addition, a second purpose is to assess whether the availability of firearms affects the frequency of their use in suicide and for homicide, and, if so, does this means, i.e., firearms, of suicide and homicide simply result in displacement of suicidal or homicidal intent to other means, with no overall reduction in the rates of suicide or homicide. & Lester, 1997;Lester, 2000) to heart, in the present study Lester and Leenaars' methods (1993) were used to examine the use of firearms for suicide in the 7-yr. period prior to Bill C-17 and in the 7-yr. period after the passage of this bill to assess whether the restrictions on firearms were associated with suicide rates. The data for the total rate of homicide and suicide, homicide and suicide by firearms, and homicide and suicide by all other methods were calculated by the author from Federal Government data (Hung, 2002, Table 15) ;Statistics Canada (2002) provided the raw data, and the rates were calculated by the author, except for the percentage of all suicides involving firearms and the percent-age of all homicidal deaths involving firearms (Hung, 2002, Population of Canada data).…”

Gun Availability and Use of Guns for Murder and Suicide in Canada

“…suggested that a measure of avadabhty of guns in a society might be the accidental death rate from guns. Lester (2000) found that the accidental death rate from guns in Canada from 1970-1995 was positively associated with the homicide and suicide rates by gun, significantly so for the homicide rate. Data are available on the percentage of suicides using guns by age group for 1970-1995 and on the percentage of guns used for homicide by age and sex of the victims for 1974-1995 (Hung, 1999; www.…”

Gun Availability and Use of Guns for Murder and Suicide in Canada: A Replication

“…One proxy measure of the availability of firearms in a society might be the rate of accidental death from firearms (Cook, 1982). Lester (2000) found that the rate of accidental death from firearms In Canada from 1970-1995 was positively associated with both the rates for homicide and suicide from firearms and significantly so for rate of accidental death from firearms and rate of homicide from firearms. Later, Lester (2001) reported that the rate of accidental death from firearms in Canada was significantly and positively associated with (1) the percentage of homicide victims killed by firearms for the total population, men, women, and those in five age groups for 1974-1995 but not for those aged 55+ yr. and (2) the percentage of suicides using firearms for the total population, and those in four age groups for 1970-1995 but not for those aged 55+ yr.…”