Unintentional Firearm Injuries: The Price of Protection

Abstract

Firearms may provide a measure of self-protection, but they also yield tragic consequences. Although the rate of unintentional firearm deaths in the United States has declined steadily for the past 50 years, 1,500 people still die annually because of the unintentional discharge of firearms. Less is known about nonfatal injuries; powder firearms are estimated to injure 12,000 to 30,000 people annually, and nonpowder firearms are estimated to injure 19,500 to 34,500 people annually. Compared with other injury circumstances, unintentional firearm injuries disproportionately affect children younger than 15 years of age and men who injure themselves or other people. Injuries among children often occur in homes and are characterized by a lack of parental supervision and by ready access to loaded firearms. Potential primary prevention strategies include requiring design modifications, such as trigger locks and redundant safety devices; educating firearm owners, children’s caretakers, and health care providers about the risk of firearm injury and about prevention; and restricting children’s access to firearms.