Half of All Suicides in the U.S. Involve Firearms

Half of all suicides in the United States involve firearms, according to the CDC. Based on WHO estimates, worldwide suicides are the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds and are responsible for more deaths than war and homicides put together.

Guns and suicide are two sides of the same issue in the United States. Out of all gun deaths, 60 percent are suicides. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is working to educate the gun-owning community to identify the warning signs of suicide. The organization hopes to deter people from suicide by limiting access to lethal weapon for at-risk groups. Studies have found that most suicide attempts are thwarted when people do not have access to a means of self-harm because most suicides are carried out in an impulsive moment of crisis.

Worldwide, hanging, firearms, and pesticides are the three most common methods for suicide. Other countries, like Sri Lanka, have seen a significant drop in their suicide rates by regulating access to means of self-harm. Before regulations, Sri Lanka had one of the highest suicide rates in the world with pesticides attributed to two-thirds of those deaths. The country has now reduced suicides committed by hazardous pesticides by 70 percent over a decade, saving an estimated 93,000 lives.