The majority of the children and teens who either committed or attempted suicide, and those who were shot unintentionally in King County between 1990 and 1995, were shot by firearms that came from their homes, according to a study released today in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In 65 percent of the adolescent suicides and suicide attempts in King County, the firearm was owned by someone living in the youth s household, usually a parent. Firearms owned by another relative, friend or parent of a friend were used in 49 percent of the unintentional injuries and deaths. Half the weapons used in self-inflicted deaths and injuries were handguns, and over 60 percent of the firearms involved in unintentional shootings were handguns. At the Injury Center we are sponsoring a safe storage campaign, and with the release of this study we hope people will begin to understand the importance of this effort.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents.
Since 1970, the rate of teen suicide has tripled. Firearms are used in 65 percent of the teen suicides. The increase in suicide over the past 30 years is accounted for almost entirely by an increase in deaths due to firearms, with little or no increase in suicide by other means. Firearms are the cause of 67 percent of the suicides among Washington teens 15-19. Teen suicide was 40 percent more frequent in Seattle.