Do guns provide safety? At what cost?
Many people feel that having a gun provides greater safety for them and their family. Actually, having a firearm in the home escalates the risk for death or injury, while using it to shoot someone who endangers the household is much less common. The resultant injuries, deaths, emotional turmoil, and/or disabilities lead to greater utilization of health care and legal/police services. Payment for these expenses is provided by higher insurance premiums and tax rates. This financial aspect has become a part of our country's current political concern over firearm ownership rights, gun violence or regulation, health care costs, the economy, and taxes.
Narang
Puneet
P
Department of Psychiatry, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Paladugu
Anubha
A
Manda
Sainath Reddy
SR
Smock
William
W
Gosnay
Cynthia
C
Lippmann
Steven
S
D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D012449:Safety; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology*