Legislation on Child Access and Concealed Carry Permits Could Significantly Decrease Firearm Suicide Rates

Firearm-related suicides remain a significant public health concern in the United States, surpassing rates in other high-income countries by a factor of eight. Despite media attention often focusing on firearm homicides, the majority of firearm deaths are due to suicide. While efforts have successfully reduced firearm homicides post-pandemic, firearm suicides hit a record high in 2022 with over 26,000 deaths.

State-level firearm laws in the U.S. vary widely, influencing suicide rates through different legal frameworks. A recent study conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center analyzed how specific firearm laws, particularly child access prevention laws and concealed carry permits, could impact firearm suicide rates. The study, published in the b0Annals of Surgery,b0, estimates that over 110,000 firearm suicides from 2010 to 2019 might have been prevented if each state had implemented its most effective firearm law.

The research team emphasized that each state has unique demographics and socioeconomic characteristics, which influence how laws affect violence and suicide. By examining all states individually, they found that the most substantial potential reductions in firearm suicides could come from policies related to child access prevention and concealed carry permits.

"States with differentiated laws, demographics, and socioeconomics may benefit variably from firearm legislation. Our findings suggest that targeted, evidence-based laws could save thousands of lives," explained Dane Scantling, DO, MPH, FACS, a lead author of the study.

The study utilized data from 2010 to 2019 across the lower 48 states, analyzing 125 policies within 12 firearm law categories. It also considered the legal landscape in neighboring states to estimate the potential impact of specific policies, revealing that state-specific approaches are necessary for effective suicide prevention.

The authors advocate for adopting standardized, data-driven policies to reduce firearm suicides nationwide. They believe that implementing these targeted laws, especially child access prevention and concealed carry restrictions, could lead to significant decreases in suicide rates and save many lives.

More details on this research can be found in the original publication here: DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006732. The study highlights the importance of tailored legislation in addressing the firearm suicide epidemic in the U.S.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-passage-child-access-concealed-laws.html