State Level Firearm Ownership and Storage Information Informs Risk, Benefit and Public Health and Public Safety Programming

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1 State Level Firearm Ownership and Storage Information Informs Risk, Benefit and Public Health and Public Safety Programming Why More States Should Consider This on the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey Safe States 2016 Annual Meeting Tony Gomez, RS Program Manager Violence and Injury Prevention

2 Learning Objectives 1. Assessing community and home safety due to unsafely stored firearms utilizing the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) 2. How to organize at a state level to reintroduce this BRFSS module as a state added question 3. Using BRFSS and Child Death Review (CDR) information to identify youth suicide risk, risk of firearms going to schools, firearm theft, firearm suicide and other firearm safe storage issues of public health and public safety significance 2

3 Leading Causes of Death for Washington Residents 2014 Malignant Neoplasms 12,190 Diseases of the Heart 10,674 Injuries (Intentional and Unintentional) 4,312 Alzheimer s Disease 3,343 Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases 2,907 Cerebrovascular Diseases 2,644 Diabetes Mellitus 1,668 Chronic Liver Disease & Cirrhosis 903 Influenza and Pneumonia Source: Center for Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health, 09/2015.

4 Washington: o o Firearm Burden in U.S. and Washington State ,038 residents died from a gun injury 1,472 residents were hospitalized for nonfatal gun injuries United States: o o 33,636 people died as a result of guns 21,175 were suicides 505 were unintentional firearm deaths 84,258 intentional and unintentional nonfatal injuries 16,864 unintentional nonfatal firearm injuries Sources: Center for Health Statistics, Washington State Department of Health, 09/2015; CDC WISQARS, Accessed Oct

5 Suicide by Method United States, 2011 Fall 2.0% Other 4.0% Cut/pierce 1.7% Poisoning 16.6% Firearms 50.6% Suffocation 25.1% 5 Source: Heron M., CDC NVSR, 2015

6 Methods of Self-Harm and Lethality Case Fatality Ratio by Method of Self-Harm United States, 2011 Method of Self-Harm Fatal Nonfatal Total % Fatal Firearm 16,869 2,980 19,849 85% Suffocation 6,198 2,761 8,959 69% Fall ,085 31% Poisoning/overdose 5, , ,005 2% Cut/pierce ,817 63,275 1% Other 1,109 35,089 36,198 3% Unspecified ,243 7% Total 30, , ,613 9% Source: Vyrostek SB et al., MMWR

7 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Goals and Objectives for Action: A Report of the U.S. Surgeon General and of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Goal 6: Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means of suicide among individuals with identified suicide risk 7

8 Mission: Reduce Gun Violence by Promoting Safe Storage of Firearms What is safe storage of firearms? o o All firearms are locked and unloaded Ammunition is locked up and stored separately from any firearms Visit our website: 8

9 Effect of Gun Safe Storage on Deaths of Children and Adolescents Effect of safe storage Reduction in firearm suicide 78% Reduction in accidental shootings 85% Reduction in shootings with handguns 83% Reduction in shootings with long guns 75% Source: Grossman et al.,

10 BRFSS Firearm Module Questions Are any firearms now kept in or around your home? Is there a firearm in or around your home that is now loaded? Is there a firearm in or around your home that is now unlocked? By unlocked we mean you do not need a key or combination to get the gun or to fire it. We don t count a safety as a lock. Are any of the loaded firearms also unlocked? By unlocked, we mean you do not need a key or combination to get the gun or to fire it. We don t count a safety as a lock. 10

11 Washington State Firearm Ownership and Storage BRFSS 2013 An estimated 1.8 million adult residents reported firearm(s) in or around their homes Over 950,000 (51%) residents reported at least one firearm in or around their home that was unlocked Almost 200,000 children under 18 years of age were estimated to reside in homes with unlocked firearms 11

King County Child Death Review (CDR) Purpose: to better understand the circumstances around why a child dies in order to enhance implementation of prevention strategies to prevent future child injury

12 King County Child Death Review (CDR) Purpose: to better understand the circumstances around why a child dies in order to enhance implementation of prevention strategies to prevent future child injury and death Multidisciplinary community team comprised of professionals involved with children, including: Medical Examiner Law Enforcement Child Protective Services (CPS) Public Health EMS/First Responders Other professionals 12

King County Child Firearm Suicide 1999-2012 Between 1999 and 2012, 25 King County children under 18 died by suicide using a

13 King County Child Firearm Suicide Between 1999 and 2012, 25 King County children under 18 died by suicide using a firearm Gun ownership was identified in 80% of cases. Of these cases, 70% were committed with a gun owned by a family member 13

14 Child Suicide & Unsecured Firearms Combining CDR and BRFSS estimates of households with children and unsafely stored firearms Risk of completed suicide by firearm among children is nine times greater in households where firearms are kept unlocked and are easily accessible 14

15 How Do Young Suicide Victims Get a Gun? When asked, Has your child handled your gun in your home? 70% of parents report no. In those homes, 28% of children report yes 81% of children reported they know where their parents keep the guns Source: Baxley and Miller,

Further Evidence of Unsafely Stored Firearms and Community Risk Issues 2013 2014: WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction reported 91 incidents involving a gun on school premises,

16 Further Evidence of Unsafely Stored Firearms and Community Risk Issues : WA State Superintendent of Public Instruction reported 91 incidents involving a gun on school premises, transportation systems or school facilities 2012: ~11,600 King County high school students reported that it would be very easy or sort of easy to get a handgun 2013: $3,990,218 worth of guns were reported stolen, according to the WA Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs 16

17 Focus on Prevention Safe Storage Saves Lives partnering with law enforcement and retailers of firearm storage devices 17

18 King County Outcomes of Safe Storage Provider Training: Providers would feel patients will listen when counseled about safe storage o Increased 53% baseline to 96% follow-up Provider is more comfortable speaking to their patients o Increased 55% baseline to 81% follow-up 18

King County Outcomes of Safe Storage Public Health Seattle & King County partners with: 11 retailers of firearm safe storage devices providing discounts 29 Law Enforcement Agencies increasing

19 King County Outcomes of Safe Storage Public Health Seattle & King County partners with: 11 retailers of firearm safe storage devices providing discounts 29 Law Enforcement Agencies increasing awareness about safe storage o Includes 22 agencies educating those seeking Concealed Pistol Licenses (CPL) about the importance of safe storage Numerous state and national organizations link to 19

WHEREAS, firearm injuries have a significant public health impact both nationally and locally;

WHEREAS, firearm injuries have a significant public health impact both nationally and locally; ORDINANCE NO. An ordinance adding a new Section 55.21 to Chapter V of the Los Angeles Municipal Code to require handguns located in a residence to be kept in a locked container or disabled with a trigger